The Greater Darkness
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Follow up to my story Home. They're back in Storybrooke with the threat of the Witch hovering over them, but that might be the least of Rumplestiltskin's worries when he catches a glimpse of a dangerous enemy from his past in their little town. Rumbelle. Swanfire. OutlawQueen. Snowing.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This story directly follows my last OUAT story _Home_ (so if you haven't read it, you're going to be super confused). Welcome back to all my awesome readers and welcome new readers. There's going to be a considerable amount of Rumple whump going on in this one (not that he didn't get it a couple times in the last one...), so fair warning. Enjoy!

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**Chapter One.**

There was shouting. Screaming. It filled his ears and swelled around him, threatening to overtake him. He'd never heard anything like it. There was a rawness to the sound, as if it had been going on for some time and, somehow, it made his own throat burn just to hear it. He hadn't felt this kind of fear in a long, long time and he tried to crush it down, to remind himself: He was immortal. Nothing could harm him. Nothing.

The sound ripped through the darkness again, sending a chill through his body. An ache spread through his shoulders. He was chained, wrists held firmly by manacles over his head, the wall not giving way. His first impulse was to reach for his magic, but something was blocking it. The fear swelled again and he tugged hard, wrists already bruised from a previous struggle he couldn't quite remember.

"Don't make this more difficult for yourself, Dark One," a voice hissed through the shadows and he found himself scurrying away from it, back pressed against the wall. He couldn't seem to control the movements, the fear that he thought he'd banished when he took on the curse driving him to find the nearest corner to huddle in.

He felt hands clamp down on him and a magic that he didn't recognized raced through him, burning and ripping at his insides. It was in that moment that he realized the screams were his own and his throat burned because it was raw from it. They didn't relent, fingers digging into skin that must have been blistered and he felt a jolt run through his thin frame, slamming him back and the cry was cut short, dying into a moan of utter misery.

"_Rumplestiltskin_!"

His name broke through the haze, sharp and frightened and someone was shaking him. Dark eyes flew open and their owner jolted up, nearly slamming into the young woman that was bent over him. Blue eyes were wide, meeting his, and Belle let out a sigh of relief as she threw her arms around his neck. "You wouldn't come out of it," she managed, face buried in the crook of his neck.

Rumplestiltskin wrapped a careful arm around her. It had been nearly three weeks since they'd returned to the Land Without Magic and she hadn't bothered with her apartment over the library since being placed there upon their re-arrival. In fact, she'd barely left his side since their return, as if she feared that to do so would snap her out of the illusion that he'd survived their latest near-death experience. So he held her there, letting her cling to him as long as she liked and didn't let go until she settled back so she was sitting on the bed next to him, worry still shining in her clear eyes.

"I'm alright, sweetheart," he promised, his voice coming out a bit more strained than he would have liked. The nightmare danced at the edge of his consciousness, the pain still settled deeply there so that it almost wrapped into his physical being. He could almost feel the hands on him still, the burning and the pain. He cleared his throat, pushing it aside, and offered her a true smile he reserved for very few. "I promise."

"What were you dreaming about? It sounded terrible."

"It was," he admitted softly and reached up to touch the side of her face, "but it's nothing you should worry yourself about."

"Rumple," she admonished softly as he pulled her in for a kiss. They lingered there for a moment and she reached up to lay her hand flat against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart there. It was a bit quicker, still reacting to whatever he had seen, and she felt the want to help him with his pain wash over her so that it was almost an overwhelming need. "Please talk to me about it."

"It was just an old nightmare. I've had it for… many years. It doesn't mean anything anymore." He sighed, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "It's not that I don't trust you with it, Belle. It would simply be better to put it from my mind. I'd rather not relive it the next time I sleep as well."

"Okay," she accepted slowly.

When she made no move to leave her perch he sighed, letting his eyes drift to the mostly closed curtains. There was enough light making its way into that western-most window of the house to know that the sun was struggling its way up in the early autumn sky and the day had begun. He'd opened his shop back up about a week and a half ago, but he'd never kept specific hours before and no one expected him to now. If they decided to curl back up for a few more minutes and eat a late breakfast before he headed over, he wouldn't likely miss a soul. After all, most people were still too busy in near panic over the what-ifs to return back to what had once been their day-to-day.

The people of Storybrooke knew just enough to make them uneasy. There had been a woman - a witch - that had tried to take over their kingdoms through gathering power to herself. The rumours varied and as far as Rumple had heard, none of them had included his dagger. He had a wide range of roles in the stories, ranging from being her co-conspirator to having vanquished her in the end. Neither of which were true, of course, but that never seemed to matter.

"Snow called a bit ago."

"Oh joy."

Belle shot him a look and he nodded at her to keep going. "She wanted to know if we're coming by the town hall today for the meeting."

"They're holding another one?"

"People are worried. It helps them to hear their leaders speak." She offered a shrug. They both knew that while Snow White and her Charming knew more than the average person in Storybrooke that had not been in their inner circle in the Enchanted Forest, by this point everything that could have been shared would have been. "She thinks it'd be good if people saw you there."

Rumplestiltskin snorted. "I highly doubt that."

She leaned back into him, her head resting against his shoulder in a comfortable manner. He wondered when they'd become so relaxed in one another's presence. Perhaps she had long before he'd allowed himself to. "It's true. Snow wants to talk to you about the magic here."

"There is no magic here. It was ripped from the town when Regina tore up the curse and all of you were taken back."

"She says people are asking. Regina doesn't want to explain it."

"Of course she doesn't."

"Snow thinks it's best if she doesn't as well. If word got out that an oversight in the price of reversing the curse was what tore everyone back here…"

"I see your point," he sighed in response. "Let Blue handle it then. She likes to stand up on a pedestal and tell the world how it should behave."

Belle shifted in his arms so that she could look up to see his expression as she spoke. "That's something else Snow wanted to talk to you about…."

Rumplestiltskin quirked an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"The Blue Fairy pulled her support from Snow White and David just before we all came back to Storybrooke."

This caught his attention. "Why? She's always supported Snow White in any endeavour."

"I don't know the specifics. Snow wouldn't say. I think she was trying to be cryptic about it."

"But Blue is out completely? Even now?"

"Apparently."

Rumple let his head fall back against the headboard, a light thump sounding from the contact. If Blue had pulled out, that meant she was pulling every fairy she could take with her, which - though he was loath to say it - was quite a bit of magical power should magic ever be brought back to Storybrooke. Quite a bit of magical knowledge as well. That left Regina, Tinker Bell, and potentially Emma if she could manage it, though she hardly had the knowledge that the others had.

"No rest, is there?" he asked Belle at last.

She straightened up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "We've had three weeks of rest, Rumple. Now it's time to help our family."

Those were the words he needed and she knew it. She always knew what he needed to hear to motivate him. "Fine, fine," he grumbled, throwing back the sheets and nearly taking her with them. Belle laughed as she moved quickly to avoid it and he reached for his cane.

"Baelfire left early to meet Emma and Henry at Granny's before the meeting, so it's just us. I'll make breakfast while you're getting dressed. That should get us down there with enough time to get caught up before the actual meeting," she said on her way out the door.

"Don't forget to close the fridge!" he called after her only to be met by another laugh. He shook his head and unfolded himself from the bed. When had the Dark One become so damned domesticated?

* * *

People were already beginning to mull around outside the little courthouse that seconded as a town hall by the time they reached it. Belle waved happily at people that Rumplestiltskin hardly recognized and he wondered, in her very limited time here, how she'd gotten to know so many people. He shook his head, laughing to himself. Because she was Belle and everyone loved her as much as she loved everyone. She was a light in any dark room that she might walk into.

"You came!" Henry called as he raced down the front steps and nearly tackled both his grandpa and Belle.

Rumplestiltskin ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. They hadn't been overly close even when they'd learned of the blood connection, but perhaps it was the fact that Rumple had been directly involved in saving him from Pan or even the newest near-death experience that Henry had witnessed first-hand, but in the three weeks since they'd been reunited the lad had decided to make it one of his goals to make sure that he had just as strong of a bond with his father's father as he did with his mother's. "Needed to stretch my legs."

"Uhuh," Henry said, not fooled for an instant. "I think you secretly _like_ helping. It's okay, I won't tell anyone."

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, lad," his grandfather teased him. "Where's your grandmother? I hear I've been summoned and all that."

Henry laughed at the flare in his voice and motioned for them to follow him inside. He hopped up with the steps with all the energy of a young teenager. Rumplestiltskin followed at a considerably slower speed, his ankle aching in the cool, damp air and he leaned heavily on his cane because of it. The inside was almost as crowded with people as the outside was with early-comers. Snow White and David stood at the front with their daughter by their side, talking to a group of mostly royals. Prince Philip and his young wife Aurora stood with him, Prince Thomas and his father listening intently just a step away, though princess Ella appeared to be chasing a toddler around in a corner. Regina and Robin were towards the front and Roland took off to greet Henry as soon as he saw him, eyes bright with excitement. One of the few credits Rumple had to give to the young king and queen was that they didn't limit themselves to royal company. Bae stood close to Emma, and Ruby and Granny were there, alongside Archie and Marco. Pinocchio took off after Roland.

Henry scooped up Roland as best he could and motioned for Pinocchio to follow him. "C'mon, let's go get Alexandra so Ella can listen in."

"Thank you, Henry!" Snow called.

"Just tell me what I miss. I want to help," the boy answered back with a grin that looked just like Bae's had at that age.

The queen turned back to the newcomers and she seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for coming."

"Well, when there's panic in Storybrooke my shop's the first to get looted, so might as well stop it before it starts," Rumple answered with a shrug.

"Pretty sure that's not why it gets looted," Emma popped back from her place.

"Good to see you too, Miss Swann."

Rumple and Belle moved to stand between Bae and Ruby, receiving both greetings and wary looks combined from all there. David picked up where he seemed to have left off: some dull droll abound the safety and security of all and how they would achieve that. It went on for long enough for Rumple to begin to lean heavily on his cane, mind drifting until Baelfire nudged him none too gingerly in the ribs. "That question was for you, Pop," he murmured.

Dark eyes blinked and found all attentions on him.

David, to his credit, looked a bit worried. The exact details of what had really happened weren't wide spread, but it was certain that if anyone were called family through Henry that they probably knew the dangerous details. "If you're still not feeling up to it-"

"I'm quite alright, I just can only take so much when it comes to one of your long-winded speeches."

Where Bae had nudged, Belle used an elbow. "_Rumple_."

"Alright," he conceded, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "You were saying?"

"I just want to make sure everyone's on the same page here, with the whole magic… thing."

Dark eyes surveyed the crowd. Some looked interested, some uneasy, and the others were downright hostile in their expressions. The latter was mostly Granny and Grumpy. "The whole magic _thing_-" he said, unable to keep the mockery entirely out of his tone- "is that there is none. Likely it was stripped from here when everyone left and the curse was broken. Us coming back would not necessarily bring magic back. It didn't the first time, there's no reason to believe that it would this time."

"But we have our memories," Archie offered from where he stood.

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "Our memories aren't linked to magic. To bring it back, someone would have to do something. By someone I do mean me." He glanced back to Regina and cut off her argument. "Sorry, dearie, I didn't see you dropping an unmixable potion down the wishing well last time."

"Oh shut up, Rumple."

He flashed her a grin. "You and I still need to have a discussion about those damn keys of yours." He turned his attention back to everyone else, one hand dancing as he explained. "The Witch relies entirely on her magic and, even if she found a way to follow us, she'd find herself just like the rest of us when she arrived: perfectly normal. In the end, until we find a way to defeat her, this is the safest route for everyone."

"David, are we going to take Rumplestiltskin's word on this?" Thomas demanded, jabbing a finger in the elder man's direction. "There are plenty of people that say he's working with the Witch, and I wouldn't put it past him."

"Peace, Thomas," Charming urged. "You forget that Snow and I traveled with him to find the plants that brought Emma and Henry back. We were along for ninety percent of that trip. Trust me, Rumplestiltskin is _not_ working for the Witch."

The accused Dark One blinked at the young king. "Thank you," he offered tightly.

"But does she have that dagger of yours?" Grumpy asked, eyeing him carefully.

Rumple straightened, pulling his shoulders back from where they'd begun to slump forward the longer he stood. All eyes were on him, those that knew what the Dwarf meant and those that didn't. He felt Belle's hand on his arm, encouraging trust. "It's a choice you'll have to make," she had told him some days before. "When the time comes and you _really_ decide that you want to help, you'll have to trust them if you want their trust in return."

"Yes," he managed after a moment. He cleared his throat, speaking a bit stronger. "Hence the reason that the entire community is safer without magic in our midst right now. No magic, no power to control the Dark One."

"But what if she finds a way to bring magic back?" Ella asked shakily.

"We're jumping ahead of ourselves now," Snow said, a winning smile gracing her lips. "The Witch hasn't followed us, nor do we have any inclinations that she even can. Rumplestiltskin's right on this. No one knows more about his own curse than he does and he's earned David's and my trust through his actions."

A consenting murmur flowed through the small crowd as the doors flew open and Tinker Bell walked in, accompanied by Astrid, the fairy-nun out of her usual nunnery frock and dressed in pale pink instead. "Sorry we're late," Tink offered, nearly skipping in. She winked at Grumpy as his face lit at the sight of her companion. "One more for our ranks, Snow."

"I… didn't think Blue was right to pull support from you, Snow White. I don't know how much help I can be, but whatever I can do, it's yours."

"Thank you, Astrid," the young queen answered graciously.

"What exactly _is_ the story about the Blue Fairy pulling her support?" Rumple asked, dark gaze finding Snow's and hazel eyes immediately darted away.

"She didn't feel like she could stand with us this time. It's her choice. We'll stand strong against any enemy though. Together."

He started to press the subject, but a chill hit him and Rumplestiltskin looked back towards the still-open doors. Outside, amongst the people mulling about, was a man he had not seen in centuries. He couldn't be entirely sure until the man turned his piercing blue gaze on him and Rumple felt like he'd been stabbed again, the breath leaving him all at once. He hadn't seen him, but he'd heard his voice in his nightmares just that morning.

_Don't make this more difficult for yourself, Dark One._

"Rumple?"

He blinked, realizing he'd actually stumbled and he waved Belle's worry off. "I've just been standing too long. You'll excuse me if I don't stay for the meeting itself? I have some things to do in the shop."

"The council didn't disperse when we came back, and you were made part of it," David argued. "The people are worried and they need all of us here. You're the foremost expert on magic that we have with Blue gone."

"That means you don't get to pop in and out as you choose." That time it was Granny. He was sure she'd been biting her tongue until then.

"Fine," he snapped, looking back to the door. He was gone, the space he'd been standing in taken by some other person that has probably been a villager in some little town or another that Snow and her prince ruled over.

"Papa?"

Rumple's expression softened and he knew that those closest to him hadn't bought his quickly spun lie. "Later," he promised, reminding himself that he'd have to make good on it. For now, all he could do was hope that Mallicade hadn't recognized the pale, dark eyed man with a limp that seemed to have found company with more heroes than villains these days.

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TBC

Notes: So, how do you like it so far? Oh, and kudos if anyone can tell me where the refrigerator comment comes from :D


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Thanks for the reviews! Kudos go out to 9aza for getting the 'fridge reference!

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**Chapter Two.**

Mallicade did not reappear during the entire town meeting. It took halfway through for Rumplestiltskin to begin to relax. It was Belle clutching his hand that helped him steady out his breathing that had become far too closed to panicked for his liking. Thankfully no one actually wanted him to get up and speak. They only asked that he sit there and at least pretend he was interested. It was a bit like one of their round table meetings back in the Enchanted Forest. His name was brought up - Gold, as the name Rumplestiltskin could make people very uncomfortable - several times in an unquestioning tone that he was the expert on the subject of magic. The Blue Fairy was ignored like she'd never existed and he promised himself that he would get to the bottom of that, no matter if Snow wanted to share or not.

By the time the question and answer session was over - well into the late morning, bordering on early afternoon - he had about convinced himself that he'd imagined Mallicade's presence. The dream had wound him up so tight that it had set his imagination on edge, but there was nothing to worry about. Mallicade hadn't been heard from, much less seen, in a great many years. There was no reason to think he had been brought back this time to Storybrooke.

"So what the hell was all that?" Bae asked as they walked out of the building.

"What was what?"

"No, you don't get to pull that. You said later. It's later. What was that?"

His father sighed, turning to Belle and received the same expectant look. "I thought I saw someone that I knew a long time ago, but it couldn't have been."

"Who could make you that jumpy?"

Rumple met Bae's eyes and he felt his chest clench. "I had three very low points in my life after losing you. Mallicade was one of them. Let's leave it in the past, shall we?"

Baelfire studied him for a long moment, weighing the options before finally letting out a long breath through his nose. "What was the other two?"

"Sorry?"

"The other low points. You said you had three."

"Cora and when we thought you'd died," he answered, a flash of pain in his eyes but his voice rang true.

Bae nodded. "Okay, Papa," he conceded. "I'm going to take Henry by the park. You want to come?"

"I really do need to get things in order in my shop," Rumple answered reluctantly.

"Fair enough. He was wanting to spend the night over tonight anyway. He's been bouncing around between Emma's and Regina's places since we got back, but he wanted to come to ours tonight." Bae grinned. "Spend some time with his grandpa."

"Guys' night!" Ruby said, suddenly appearing at Belle's shoulder. She gave her smaller friend a hug from behind. "You know what that means, Belle? That means girls' night for us. What do you say? We'll grab Emma and Snow and maybe even Ella and Aurora. Oh, and Tink! I bet that girl can party. It'll help us get our minds off of everything that's been happening."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Belle began, reaching up to return the embrace as best she could from the awkward angle.

"Really, give me one good reason, just one. Rumplestiltskin, tell her she should go."

Belle shot him a worried look and he offered her a small smile in return. "You should, really. You haven't been out since we got back."

"I-"

He stepped forward and took her hand, pulling her so that he could speak directly in her ear. "I'm not going anywhere. Have fun."

She sighed heavily and kissed his cheek. "Okay."

"Settled then," he acknowledged and she couldn't help but feel she'd been roped into making some sort of deal with him.

"He's not saying everything," Bae murmured as his father started off for his shop.

"What makes you say that? Other than he never does."

Bae gave her a pointed look. "He's _trying_ to be more honest with us, but that doesn't mean he'll always get there. He answered the other two points readily enough, but he shut down on this Mallicade. Ever heard of him?"

"Nothing comes immediately to mind," Belle said thoughtfully, shuffling through her memories of the vast, historical tomes she'd read over the years, "but that doesn't mean I can't find out."

* * *

Doing a full inventory of his shop was probably one of the more time-consuming endeavors Rumplestiltskin could have undertook, but a necessary one when he'd re-opened the pawn and antique shop for business. With the sudden relocation of those that had been here before and some that hadn't, new items were sure to have appeared. With new items often came those that seemed under the impression that it was _his_ fault they'd landed there.

And there was that tiny hope set so deep inside of him that he didn't dare voice it: that the Witch somehow had lost his dagger and it was buried in one of his shelves waiting for him to find it.

He was in the back, sitting on the floor so that he could shift through one of his lower shelves when the front door's bell rang. He'd left it unlocked so that Bae and Henry could come in when they finished at the park, but it was far too early for that now. He did specifically remember making sure the sign read closed though. Waste of money. No one ever paid attention anyway.

"We're closed," Rumple called, not really wanting to get up. With his luck, he'd catch the person's back as they were leaving by the time he made it to his feet.

He waited, and while he heard shuffling from the front he did not hear the bell ding again to signal an exit. With a sigh he started the process of picking himself up. It was probably one if those damn dwarfs, looking for something or the other that they thought he had. Or possibly even the young and arrogant Prince Thomas, ready to continue his earlier accusations where he would think Rumple had no defense from them. He'd like to give the spoiled prince a verbal tearing up, just to see the expression on his face. It was a pleasant enough idea that it brought a small smile to his lips. One that immediately disappeared when he laid eyes on the visitor.

Mallicade was a tall and imposing man, broad across the shoulders and chest. He had been bald when Rumple knew him, hair shaved clean off like a monk, but it was simply short, buzzed close to his head and grey now. There was no telling if that was a personal choice or one that the curse had laid on him. There were a few more creases in his skin, especially around his mouth were his lips seemed permanently tugged downward in a frown. In this world he'd given up his clerical sect's garments for a business suit not unlike Rumple's own. Those blue eyes hadn't changed though, and the still felt like daggers biting into the Dark One's skin.

"I'm sorry, but I'm closed for inventory. If you're looking for something specific, you should check back next week and I'll have a better idea if it came through or not." Rumple was surprised that his voice sounded as steady as it did. He couldn't tell by the expression the taller man wore if he recognized him or not. Many years and a suppressed curse leaving him looking entirely human might be his saving grace.

Mallicade watched him in a way that made him want to hide. Finally he opened his mouth and a familiar drawl, slow and deep and promising great depths of danger if words were not heeded, did finally manage to send a subtle chill down his spine, though the words themselves seemed innocent enough. "I am new to this place and am attempting to get my bearings on this little town." He studied Rumplestiltskin carefully, his expression not giving anything away.

"If you're looking for a map I do believe that Dark Star Pharmacy just down the street would be the best place to look. Mr Clark will help you with that. I'm afraid my little shop doesn't hold anything quite so current."

"The people seem different here than they were once."

"Well I suppose having two lives bouncing around in your head will do that," Rumple answered and turned to busy his hands with a half-restored antique piece that he'd laid down on the counter. He reached for a rag and started in on the the crevices in the little music box, working the dirt out. When Mallicade did not seem to catch the hint he grit his teeth, banishing the creeping memories of a man standing over him, silently observing as he writhed in pain, wrist and ankles bound as a magic he didn't understand ripped him apart again and again. "If you're looking for someone specific it looked like Snow and the rest have the boards up again. Those will be outside the town hall."

"I dare say the person I'm looking for wouldn't be up on a board to be seen."

Another chill ran through him and Rumplestiltskin hoped that his hands hadn't paused too noticeably. He knew. He had to know. He was toying with him now, he was certain.

The sound of the front door being thrown open and the bell nearly breaking as a result brought the conversation to an immediate halt, Regina growling out her displeasure before realizing someone was already inside the shop. "Gold, you and I need to have a... chat..." She stopped, watching Mallicade carefully. Even without access to magic, Regina could tell a predator.

"Ms Mills, isn't it?" Mallicade asked. "I believe someone said that you're the mayor?"

"Former," Regina corrected, glancing back at Rumple to try to catch his gaze. He was still scrubbing away at his little music box.

The aging man gave her what might have been an attempt at a polite smile, but it reminded her more if a wolf snarling just before it ripped its prey apart. "Good day to you, Ms Mills. Mr Gold."

The shop was left in silence for several long moments after the bell announced his exit. Rumple finally loosed a long breath he'd been holding and set his project aside. "I believe you were here to yell at me over something or the other," he prompted.

"Yeah," she murmured, still distracted by the forceful presence that left the shop chillier than it might have otherwise been. "Never mind. Not important. Who the hell was that?"

Rumplestiltskin cringed and wrapped a protective cloth around the little box before setting it in a drawer. There was no denying that he'd seen him now. "His name is Mallicade. He is a cleric. Part of a particularly old and nasty branch."

Regina leaned against the counter. "History?"

"Yes. Loads."

"Is he what happened this morning?"

Dark eyes shifted to meet another pair of a different shade. He hated to admit it, but there were times when his former student knew him a bit too well.

"I'll take your silence as a yes. What, did he get caught up in one if your deals?"

"I don't make deals with clerics," Rumple snapped, closing the conversation. "If there's nothing you need, I do actually _do_ work in here."

"Could have fooled the rest of us," Regina answered with one of her fake-sweet smiles. The tease fell flat and her expression turned serious. "Rumple, if you're in trouble..."

"Your concern is touching, dearie."

"Don't be an ass. I'm serious. If you need help, you've actually got people that are willing to put their necks out for you now. I know that can be... hard to remember for people like us."

"I hardly think that Snow and her prince are going to put themselves out for me, quaint as the idea is. They're not fools."

Regina blinked at him. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Rumple snapped, patience used up for the day. Possibly for the rest of the week.

"Blue gave Snow an ultimatum. She threatened to pull her support if they didn't lock you up when you got back from saving Belle. Some crap about Snow aligning with too many dark figures. I can't believe I'm giving her credit, but Snow told her to take a hike."

Rumplestiltskin stared at her.

"That was my reaction too."

"This is an interesting turn of events," he said at last.

Regina hummed her agreement. "Listen, teamwork has never been either of our strong points, but maybe we have a shot this time."

"You've been around the Charmings a bit too much as of late. Their idealism is rubbing off on you, dearie."

"Maybe that's just what happens when you let yourself be happy."

Rumple snorted, but his small smile gave him away. "Perhaps you're right."

* * *

Baelfire's waved Henry on as they neared the pawn shop, holding off as he continued a particularly interesting conversation with his father's girlfriend - a title that still made him feel a little funny to think on too long - and marveled at the plethora of knowledge she'd already uncovered. Leave it to Belle to dig up more information about a supposed long-dead sect of clerics in one afternoon than he would have hoped to have found in a week. That was why she did the research.

Mallicade was the head of a branch of clerics that had been known for their active hunting of what they considered dark creatures. They had taken it on themselves - claiming a divine message from their gods that no one had actually heard of - to purge the realms of these creatures. The list was long and many debatable as to how dark they really were. Belle had read a bit aloud to him already about their methods and though she'd kept her voice steady enough, he could hear the anger building on the other end of the line. Torture, mutilation, and finally death was their MO, leaving a trail behind them to remind others of "their kind" what would happen if they were caught.

"There's a part… Oh where was it," she muttered to herself on the other end and Bae could hear her shuffling through her books. "There. It was buried and I have no idea where this book came from - it wasn't from Rumple's library - but it has a lore attached to them. There's no date, so it's not necessarily him, but you know your father… He doesn't always volunteer information, and with what he said..."

Bae gave a short, humourless chuckle and glanced over to the shop to make sure the subject of their conversation hadn't snuck up on him. He could see Henry bouncing around the shop through the window, keeping Rumplestiltskin well and truly occupied. "So what did you find?" he asked.

"The lore talks about this sect capturing the Dark One. It's really just a side note here, no details, but it's mentioned that they found a way to hold him prisoner for a time."

Baelfire felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. "Captured him?"

"We don't know if it's your father," Belle said in a rush, almost like she'd repeated the same idea to herself over and over before finally calling him. Now he knew why she'd sounded even more emotionally invested in the tortured creatures' stories than she might have otherwise. "There were plenty of other Dark Ones before him, right?"

"I know of at least one," Bae murmured. "Listen, I've got to go in, but let me know if you come across any more."

"I will," she promised. "Take care of him tonight."

"Of course," he answered and ended the call. He slipped the phone into his pocket as he walked into the pawn shop to find his father and his son having a very animated conversation over what looked like a ball. He felt a grin take over, despite the heavy conversation he'd just had. "That's mine, isn't it?"

Rumplestiltskin looked up from where he'd been telling what appeared to be a rather elaborate story and tossed the ball to Henry. "It was," he answered with playful look.

"He said I could keep it," Henry announced.

"Well just keep it out of the street, okay?"

Rumple shot his son a knowing look. "Nothing like the worry that comes with a child, is there?"

"Yeah, I haven't turned anyone into a snail yet." The words came out surprisingly light and the younger man's grin hadn't faded. "Nothing like it."

* * *

Rumple's nerves had calmed down some by the time Henry and Bae had arrived, but he still found himself highly wound up and resisting the urge to jump at shadows after his visitor earlier that day. It was embarrassing, he reminded himself. Magic or no magic, he was the Dark One. He was Rumplestiltskin. It was a name that could bring most anyone to their knees to beg, here or in the Enchanted Forest. A man that might or might not even remember him was not going to revert him back into the quaking spinner that couldn't even save his son. He would _not_ be intimidated.

"Papa, we need to talk about something," Bae said at the first chance he had that Henry was out of the room. "Dont be angry."

Rumplestiltskin quirked an eyebrow. "Last time you said that you nearly died."

"Well, let's hope it's not quite that dangerous," Bae answered with forced grin. He took a seat in one of the many chairs in the sitting room and leaned forward, waiting for his father to follow suit. When he did, he pulled in a deep breath. "We looked into Mallicade."

He should have seen it coming. Between his son and Belle, the intelligent curiosity knew no bounds. He gripped the top of his cane and focused on it for a moment, letting the irrational irritation roll off of him before he answered. It was something he rarely bothered with outside of his family. Finally, when he felt he could speak without cutting sarcasm, he met Bae's eyes. "This is not a story for Henry's ears," he said in a strained voice. "It shouldn't be one for yours."

Bae offered his father a lopsided smile and reached forward. "I'm not a kid anymore, Papa."

"I know." He sighed, taking the offered hand. This was going to be a long evening.

* * *

TBC

Notes: I feel like the chapters on this story are turning out to be a bit longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three.**

It had happened just after he'd killed Milah, he said, and not long before he sought out the seer that would tell him of the curse and. If he'd just watched for the signs, just paid a bit more attention to his own surroundings, they never would have caught up to him. They shouldn't have, at any rate. It was like someone had led them straight to him, but who could have? He had no one at that point.

Rumplestiltskin had heard of the sect before. They were a nasty bunch, leaving a variety of "dark" creatures and sorcerers in their wake as they passed through an area. Some of the stories were likely true, though he'd been certain until he actually met them that many were exaggerated.

"I knew a lot of hate in those days," he murmured, feeling his son's eyes on him. "I'd hit bottom at that point, burying myself in my anger so that I couldn't feel anything else. I'd already made a name for myself, one that made grown men quake in their boots. Only the desperate called for Rumplestiltskin, but plenty of people are desperate. I thought immortal and invincible were the same."

Bae listened intently to his father's story, never letting go of his hand. "So this was, what, a few years after I fell through the portal?"

"Something like that. I'd lost track of time by that point." Dark eyes met dark. "You said you used to dream of me coming to save you from Neverland, Bae. Believe you me, son, I'd much rather have been there to save you."

Their magic had been like nothing he had come across. It was like nothing the Dark One's curse knew either, because it was not abnormal in those early days for the dark little voice to whisper hints and helps in how to wield and understand magic. The poor spinner had always been clever, but he had not been overly educated. He could read and he could even write a bit, but it had been his long years that had given him time to fill his mind and sharpen his own clever wit. At that time, so early on, he had what might have been endless power at his fingertips and no one to tell him no, so he didn't bother with caring about the consequences. He didn't give a damn about the price because he was already learning to shovel it off on those around him.

"I paid the price then," Rumple murmured humorlessly. "I didn't even know what hit me. I'd just finished making the deal with some fifth-in-line prince that would move him up closer to the throne. No, don't ask what the deal was, you don't want to know. I was in the woods and then it hit. I say hit, but I didn't even feel it. I was walking and then I was waking up chained to a wall in a room with no lights."

Mallicade had not been the first he'd seen. There were others, those under his tutelage. They'd stripped him of his fine leathers and beat him, shouting at him the whole time. He never could understand what they were saying. He'd reached for his magic, of course, but there had been nothing. They hadn't broken the curse, but they'd dulled his connection to it so that it was of no use to him to escape.

"I don't know how long I was down there. Days? Maybe weeks? I didn't want to know when I got out. They would rip me to shreds and allow just enough of my magic in to heal me before they started again."

"Why?" Bae found himself asking, even though he knew what Belle had said.

His father blinked at him, a far-off pain etched into his expression. "Because I was evil and they were going to scourge it out of me."

Rumplestiltskin didn't go into the details. His son didn't need to know them. He didn't need to know how their magic had torn at him again and again and had left his screaming for death that his curse wouldn't allow to come. Nor did he need to know that the scars didn't remain, but sometimes he could still feel the ghosting pain from them. It was when he least expected it, like the dream he'd had that morning.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

"What for, Bae? You had nothing to do with that." He squeezed his son's hand tightly in his own. "I should have gone with you."

"There's no guarantee it would have been better. My life was terrible there before the Darlings." He sighed, leaning so that his forehead rested against their clasped hands. "So you think you saw this man here in Storybrooke?"

"I know I did. He showed up at my shop this afternoon."

Baelfire jerked up, eyes wide. "He _what_?"

"Came in to taunt me I suppose."

"We'll go and-"

"No!" Rumplestiltskin nearly yelled, half standing from his place and eyes desperate. It was the first sign of panic he'd allowed his son to see since the brief flash that morning. It had come on so suddenly, so strongly, he hadn't been able to crush it before it made itself known. Shakily, he sat back down, collecting himself, and when he spoke again, it was in a calmer voice. "No, Bae. I won't have him knowing about you, son. As far as I know, he never was aware that I have family. Most Dark Ones wouldn't have, I think."

"I'm not going to let you face him alone, Papa."

"Yeah, we'll all help," Henry's voice sounded from the doorway and both men looked over, the young teen's eyes more serious than they should have been for his age.

"How long have you been there?" Bae asked his son.

Henry suddenly found the ornate carpet at his feet very interesting. "Oh… a few minutes?"

Rumplestiltskin chuckled and squeezed Baelfire's hand before releasing it. "Sneaky lad," he laughed.

The boy in question crossed the space so that he was standing between his father and grandfather. "I want to help. This guy sounds like bad news."

"Very bad news," Rumple agreed and stood, "that will be dealt with in due time. Weren't you wanting to show us something?"

As if nothing had happened, a grin washed across Henry's face. "There's this movie you've _got_ to see! Do you have a Blu-ray player?"

At his father's puzzled expression, Bae laughed. "Somehow it doesn't surprise me that even your cursed memories didn't bother with technology. C'mon, I'll show you. You have one."

* * *

Belle had never experienced a legitimate girls' night. She'd heard of it, and she thought she might have memories logged back there somewhere in which Lacey had experienced it, but those cursed memories were hazed by shots of tequila. It took a couple of drinks in for her to begin to relax, but once she did she began to understand the appeal.

They'd claimed a big table. Snow, Emma, Ruby, Ella, Aurora, Tink, and even Astrid had come. Between fighting ogres, battling rogue sorcerers, and sitting in council meetings, Belle had not found time to really get to know the women that surrounded her. She knew Ruby, of course, from their friendship in Storybrooke and of course Snow and her feisty daughter, but the others were faces and names, not stories quite yet. Several shots in, Ella scooted next to her.

"You're from Avonlea, aren't you?"

Belle, in the middle of taking a sip from her drink, peered at her over the outer edge. "Yes, I am," she managed after a moment. "Have you been?"

"Thomas and I passed through once just after we were married. I loved all the little shops."

Belle's face lit. "Oh yes! The bakery has the best loafs of bread for miles and there's a little bookshop just down the street from it with the most wonderful tales!"

Ella smiled and leaned in so that they could speak a bit more normally against the loud music. "I have to ask though... Were the rumours true? Did a monster really come and steal you away?"

The the elder woman nearly choked on her drink as she fell into a fit of giggles. "Is _that_ what they say?" She watched the blonde nod and continued to laugh. "It's not as horrible as all that. We were involved in the Ogres War and we were losing. Papa called on Rumplestiltskin and his price was that I was to go with him."

Ella paled. "For how long?"

"Oh, he was very dramatic in it. _Forever_, he said, but I really don't think he knew what he was getting himself into."

"How did you escape?"

Belle found herself at the young princess and fear was in her eyes. "I didn't have to," she said simply, leaving the details out. "He's not a terrible beast that some would have you believe. He's not even as dark as _he'd_ like others to believe. When you get to know him he's rather... Sweet."

Ella made a face. "You love him."

"I do. Very much."

"You girls look like you're having an intense conversation over here," Ruby teased.

The blonde princess offered what was, at best, a strained attempt to hide her discomfort. "Belle is trying to convince me that Rumplestiltskin isn't as terrifying as he is."

"If anyone can convince someone of it it's Belle. But this is supposed to be girls' night, not fawn over your guy night. Even he seemed to think you needed some time with friends."

"Rumple has a habit of holding onto people he cares about a little too hard sometimes," Belle said with a fond smile. "He knows it, and I think that was him trying to work on that."

"You don't have to sound so put out by it," Ruby laughed.

"I'm not. He means well, it's just... I'm worried about him."

Ruby settled in, leaning into the conversation. "Okay, so what's the real story? With the Witch. I mean, did he really fight her?"

Belle nodded, remembering the wild sparks of magic and the painful hits given on both sides. She'd screamed, she was sure, when the Witch had sunk his own dagger deep into his chest and his eyes had gone dark and human. "Yes, he did. He saved me from her."

With their expectant looks she finally divulged the story, leaving out a few bits that Rumple was sure not to have wanted as common knowledge. The other girls joined in and listened as Belle told it as only she could, and when she finished, even Ella seemed to be impressed.

"It's late," Belle murmured. "I really should head home."

"I'll walk you out," Ruby offered, grabbing her coat from the the back of the chair.

The night was chilly, but it felt good to be out in it. Belle had to admit that it had been a good choice to go. She and Ruby chatted the whole way to where she'd parked Rumple's car about a block from the little bar.

"Excuse me," a deep voice called out to them as they approached it, and Belle felt the subtle change. She couldn't explain it, but the chill was no longer pleasant.

"Keep going," Ruby murmured lowly, picking up on it as well. "You can drop me back off I your way back."

The man reached the vehicle before they did, presence daunting. Both women looked up and he stood positioned between them and the driver's door. "Red," he greeted and Ruby froze.

"Yes?" she answered after a beat, forcing herself to make eye contact.

He reached out and his hand touched her hair as he spoke. "Hiding in the open. Brazen, aren't you?"

"She's not hiding from anything," Belle snapped, taking a step towards the tall man.

"Then she's not a very clever little wolf, is she?"

"Who the hell are you?" Ruby demanded, snapping her head back and away from his lingering fingers.

"Mallicade," Belle whispered. The name left her lips without permission and his brief but startled expression proved her hunch true. "Ruby, run!" she yelled, grabbing her friend by the wrist and taking off down a side street without a glance back.

The heels were gone around the first corner and they were racing barefoot down the empty Storybrooke streets. Ruby didn't argue, thankfully, and Belle didn't let up until they reached the main road. "Where _is_ everyone?" she huffed.

"Asleep," her taller friend answered. "It's two in the morning."

One glance behind them showed that they hadn't lost their pursuer and Belle jerked Ruby into a run again, digging for her keys in her purse as best as she could. She found them as they reached the locked library doors and she fumbled, willing her fingers to hold them steady as she shoved the key into the lock and turned. Both women threw the door open together, slamming it shut behind them and breathing hard.

"Who is that?"

Belle motioned for her friend to follow her further back into the building. There was no reason to stand right by the windows. "His name is Mallicade. He's a... Well I think he's a cleric that hunts what he says are dark creatures."

Ruby went pale.

"We need to call for help."

The brunette shook her head. "The sheriff's office rolls over to Emma's cell. She may or may not hear it in that bar."

"Call anyway," Belle urged as she pulled out her own cell and dialed. It rang and rang and she prayed that someone would pick up. It hit the voicemail and she hung up as the front door began to rattle. She hit redial. "Rumplestiltskin, please," she begged as the phone rang on.

* * *

He had been battling his demons again when he heard her voice cut through it. One momen Rumplestiltskin was strapped to a table, his own screams and their terrible magic his only company. The cuffs left his wrists and ankles bleeding as he struggled, but then it just stopped. He was yanked from the nightmare, his whispered name in his ears and he jolted up.

The room was silent, the only sounds the quiet buzzing of the television that hadn't been turned off after the movie ended and his son's and grandson's breathing on the couch adjacent to the one he'd fallen asleep on.

"Papa?" Bae whispered softly as not to wake a sleeping Henry. "You okay?"

"Just a dream," Rumplestiltskin assured him and stretched. He was pretty sure he'd never fallen asleep in his couches before. They were surprisingly a bit more comfortable than the cot the kept in the back office at his shop.

The phone rang from the other room, catching both men's attention and Rumple motioned for his son to stay put as he reached for his cane and unfolded himself. Slowly, still shaking off the nightmare, he made his way into the next room and picked up the phone receiver, tiredly noting the late hour.

"Rumple?" Belle's panicked voice greeted him and he was suddenly very awake.

"Belle? What is it, sweetheart? Are you alright?"

"Mallicade is after Ruby! We're locked in the library right now, but he knows we're here."

"Hide, Belle. Both of you. Find a place that you can slip out if you need to and stay quiet. I'm on my way."

"What's going on?" Bae asked from behind him.

"Mallicade found Belle. I have to go. I can't..."

"Woh, slow down, Pop."

"He'll kill her."

"I'm not saying we don't go. I've got Emma's car, but I'd rather not just bust in there without back up. This guy's ruthless from what you said."

"Call Gramps. He'll help," Henry offered sleepily from the couch.

"I'd rather not explain all of this to Prince _Charming_," Rumple groused, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

"Belle's life and you're worried about what David knows? Seriously?"

Thin shoulders slumped. "Point taken. I'm not going to be able to talk you out of going, am I?"

"Nope."

Rumple let out a frustrated breath. "Call him on our way."

Bae nodded, turning to his son. "Stay here. Lock up. No one gets in, you hear me?"

"You think he'll come here?"

"He won't go _anywhere_ when we're done," Rumplestiltskin growled.

"On second thought, I'm calling Regina. She'll call you when she gets here."

Henry trailed behind them to the door. "Be careful?"

His father flashed him a lopsided grin. "Always."

* * *

The sound of glass shattering made them cringe. Heavy footsteps hit the floors and Belle pulled Ruby so that they shifted hiding places silently. They wound around shelves and shelves of books, staying as best as they could to the shadows. Belle's dark blue dress blended in well enough, but Ruby's own bright red one made it difficult.

The hand came out of nowhere, like he'd just appeared. Ruby let out a startled scream as she was hauled back, one of Mallicade's large hands wrapped in her hair.

"Let her go!" Belle demanded. She didn't know what she could accomplish by rushing a man like that, but all she could think of was that she was _not_ going to let her friend end up like one of those poor souls in the books she'd had her nose stuck in all afternoon. She was met with an outstretched arm swinging at her and she stumbled hard back into the bookcase.

"This does not concern you," Mallicade drawled and turned his icy gaze back to Ruby.

* * *

TBC

Notes: Many thanks to the reviewers! Hope you're enjoying it :)


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: I'm pretty sure last night's outage for ff dot net was the first one I've ever seen on this site, and I've been on here for… 10 years… maybe longer? Impressive.

**Chapter Four.**

David was already on his way to pick up Emma when Bae got ahold of him. She'd received a broken voicemail from Ruby that sounded like she was saying that they were trapped in the library and someone was after them. It could have been the longest car ride Rumplestiltskin had ever been in, but it didn't help when his son refused to let him drive. His firm control he usually kept on every situation he was in seemed to be spiralling by this point.

Neither the sheriff nor her father had made it there yet and the library sat ominously dark. The front window was broken in and the door left cracked open and Bae called as quietly as he could after his father as the elder man piled out of the car almost before it stopped. He might have had a mangled ankle, but when he had a goal in mind, the man could move. Baelfire grumbled his complaints under his breath and reached over to the glove compartment. "Good girl, Emma," he murmured and found her spare side arm there.

He caught up to Rumple at the door. He'd just stopped, hand frozen in place over the knob and dark eyes fixated on it. "Papa?"

Bae's voice shook him out of it and he pushed forward, banishing the memories. Mallicade was a sadist, but he had no more access to magic than they did. It was an equalizer, to a point, and Rumplestiltskin had proved that he was more than capable of wielding his cane with deadly precision if it came down to it.

It was dark inside, but a frightened scream and Belle yelling could be heard around the corner. Both men took off towards it. Mallicade stood with his hand buried in Ruby's dark hair, holding her by it so that she could squirm away. She was trying, though, to her credit, and she landed a hard kick to his ribs before he grabbed her foot as well and tugged hard. Belle was on the floor, books all spread out around her from where they'd toppled off the shelf on impact.

"Hey! Put her down," Bae yelled without pause, leveling the gun he was carrying.

Mallicade's blue eyes flashed in the shadowy darkness and he turned to look at Baelfire and then past him to his father. A twisted, cruel smile stretched his lips. "I'm certain of it now," he drawled, eyes fixated on Rumplestiltskin.

"Did you hear me? Put her down."

The shot went off, but went wide as Bae was thrown back by a powerful gust of wind. Ruby was thrown in the other direction and Belle, halfway up by that point, went tumbling back to the ground. Mallicade turned his attention on Rumplestiltskin, the glint in his eye dangerous and vicious. He reached a hand out and Rumple's feet left the grown, suspended and unable to move in the air.

Dark eyes went wide in shock.

"I never thought I'd have a second chance at you and then we were all swept away here. I'd heard it had happened before, though I wasn't brought with it. You had something to do with it, didn't you?"

Rumplestiltskin grit his teeth, feeling magic tug his arms out and his ankles down, but never so that his feet touched the ground. "This is… impossible," he managed, the last word coming out as a gasp at the fresh pressure the cleric's magic applied to his right leg. "There is no magic in Storybrooke."

"You always did think you had all the answers, didn't you?"

It felt like a rope had been wrapped around his neck and it tugged. _Hard_. The bound, magicless wizard gave a choked yelp against it and he struggled, finding that it didn't matter. He couldn't even bring his hands to his neck to claw at what wasn't really there. His throat was closing and panic was creeping in as he pulled in less and less air. Black spots danced across his vision and it tunneled in on Mallicade, grinning toothily like a maniac. A hand extended out, not quite touching him, and Rumple felt like he'd touched a live wire. His body tensed as the shock ran through him.

Another gunshot went off and this one connected. Rumplestiltskin dropped to the floor in a heap, gasping and sputtering. His attacker stood, hand pressed to his shoulder and staring past him at a very irritable Emma Swann in a little black dress and heels, her gun leveled for a second shot. "I dare you," she growled.

The icy gaze came back to Rumple and the two long-time enemies glared. "Next time," Mallicade promised and was gone in a whirl of smoke.

"Papa!" Bae yelled, free to move now.

"I'm fine," his father managed.

"What the hell was all that?" David demanded. "You said there was no magic! What are you trying to-"

"I don't know," Rumplestiltskin managed, not bothering to hide his own confusion. It wouldn't do him any good anyway. His son helped him to his feet and he turned to look at the young king and Emma. "I don't know," he repeated. "There isn't any. There _can't_ be. If it were just me that couldn't reach it… I'd think it had something to do with what happened at the end of the battle with the Witch, but Regina can't reach it either."

"Any chance she's lying about that?" Emma offered hesitantly.

"She has no reason to," her father answered before anyone else could. "I have to admit it, but she's been solid this past year or so that we were in the Enchanted Forest."

"But feel free to question me at the drop of a hat, dearie, because I've _never_ helped you in anything," Rumple growled irritably.

Charming raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry," he offered, the words sounding a bit strained like he'd rather not say them. "You're right."

Dark eyes blinked in surprise. "Well if that's all it took."

"Rumple," Belle groused at him.

"So if there's no magic, how did he do that?" Bae asked, rubbing the back of his neck that was already starting to feel stiff where he'd been tossed against a wall.

"I don't know. Magic's so interwoven in our world that plenty of people use it, but there is a large difference in those that use it from time to time and those that take ownership of magic as Regina and I do. The only other people that would have a good enough feel for it on a whole would be the fairies." He made a face at the thought.

"Tink and Astrid don't have access to magic," Ruby said.

"If there's magic in Storybrooke, even just a little, they wouldn't be the ones with access to it," Rumplestiltskin grumbled.

"Blue," Belle guessed, but she knew she was right by the strained expression her love wore.

"I hate her," he sighed.

"I don't think she's on anyone's good side right now," David said with a sigh. "But that's a discussion for much later this morning, when we've all had some rest. Everyone okay? Anyone need a trip to the hospital?"

There was an overall consensus that no permanent damage had been done and Rumplestiltskin stood to the side as his son spoke quietly with Emma. He hadn't asked, but he hadn't needed to. She was hesitant, but he was winning her over little by little. They were murmuring together now, their voices low enough that he couldn't eavesdrop without being entirely obvious, so he simply waited.

"Hey," Belle whispered before laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. She didn't miss the small jump, even with the announcement and she carefully wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind. She pressed her cheek against the back of his shirt, probably well pressed when he started that morning, but it had been a very, very long day. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he murmured back, shifting so that they could face each other. She never released her hold on him and it immediately tightened when he was turned. "Hey there, what about you?"

"I'm okay," she promised and nestled closer. "I just… Every time I try to be a hero it goes terribly wrong. If you and Bae hadn't come-"

"You called us, sweetheart. We never would have known if you hadn't." He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, dear. Everything will be alright. I promise."

"Really?"

"Mm."

She smiled, looking up to him so that he saw the unshed tears causing her eyes to shine in the darkness. "When did you become such an optimist?"

He echoed her smile and leaned down to kiss her. "When you started teaching me."

* * *

Rumplestiltskin hadn't expected to return to a full house. Emma had tagged along, which was acceptable enough, but he'd almost forgotten that Bae had called Regina to come over for Henry. Regina, apparently, had felt the need to bring Robin and Roland with her as well. The two boys were crashed out on the floor, draped over each other like long-time siblings and Regina was on the couch with her feet propped in Robin's lap, a book on magical theory in her hand.

"Make yourself comfortable, dearie," Rumple grumbled.

She held up one finger, turned the page, continued reading until she supposedly came to a stopping point, and then bent the page to mark her place. He cringed. "Well, you've looked better."

"Get out."

Belle swatted at him and he tried to glare at her as well. When he failed at that, he let out a frustrated growl and started for his room. "Please, everyone make yourself at home. Should I put up a sign? I might even run Granny out of business which would be a shame, because it's not like any of you would pay to stay." The rant was half called over his shoulder as he limped down the hall and it was punctuated at the end with his bedroom door slamming, causing Henry to blink awake.

"Are they home?" he mumbled, sleepily.

"Yes, sweetie. Everyone's fine," Regina assured him. She shot Baelfire a glare. "Really? Guys' night suddenly means that bedtimes are irrelevant, huh?"

Bae shrugged. "I never really had one growing up. Talk to that man in there." He pointed to where his father had disappeared. "You know, if you'd like an early demise and all that."

"I think I'll pass," Regina relented, standing from her place. Robin gave a half-asleep wave to them all and his head was instantly back against the back pillow of the couch.

"Past his bedtime too, I see," Emma said with a smirk.

"All of ours, I'd wager. Except for you, Miss Swann. Have fun?"

"You should have come out. Crazy time." No one could missed the snark, not even those that were asleep.

"In all honesty, Pop probably has as many rooms as Granny's inn, so if you guys want to stay you're welcome to."

"We'll do damage control in the morning," Belle assured them. She turned back to Bae. "Do you mind getting them settled? I'm going to go check on him."

He nodded and she started down the hall. Murmurs faded behind her as she reached the closed door. "Rumple?" she called quietly with a knock and it pushed open.

He was standing at the window, looking as if something had caught his attention in the middle of changing for bed, and his dark eyes were fixed on something that she couldn't see. "Rumple?" she called again and he didn't react. "Rumple, are you alright?"

He looked at her, finally, and swallowed hard. There was terror in his eyes like she'd never seen before and she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the way his heart was pounding in his chest and he clung to her as if she were his only anchor against it all. "Belle," he whispered. The walls were down now, having come crashing just before she walked in, she'd wager. There was nothing to hide behind. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"You called me to protect you and… And I couldn't do a damn thing. I'm as useless as I was _then_."

She knew what _then_ was. _Then_ was before the Dark One's curse. _Then_ was before power. _Then_ was when he hadn't been able to force himself to pick up a sword and try to save his wife that he had thought was being stolen from him and _then_ was when he almost lost his son to a war that would have killed him within hours of him stepping to the battlefield. _Then_ was a loathful time in Rumplestiltskin's mind.

Belle shushed him even as the tears began to flow. He cursed them and she stood on her toes to kiss them. He crumbled to the ground and she sank with him, arms holding onto him and he leaned into her. "I'm here," she promised. "Nothing is going to change that. I'm here."

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, Rumple holding onto her and she holding onto him. The sobs finally subsided and she asked him if he wanted to tell her about it. He tried, he really did, but every time he did he could feel his throat closing again and she finally stopped him.

"When you're ready."

"I love you."

"And I love you," she whispered kissing the top of his head. "More than I could ever say."

* * *

Baelfire did not begrudge Granny the title of manager to her little bed and breakfast. It was everything he could do to get people settled - he'd actually hauled Henry up over one shoulder to take him up the stairs when he'd declared the floor his permanent bed for the night - and in before finally being able to go to bed himself. He'd been good, because with all of the emotions of the evening and the intense lack of sleep, he'd almost given Emma a kiss goodnight. She'd have made him sorry, he was sure, but the urge was there. He'd been good, though, and shown her to the room next to Belle's empty one and bid her good night.

That had been twenty minutes ago. He was just getting out of the shower and slipped back into his room when the knock came. He still had a towel wrapped around his waist and he called in a hushed tone to wait as he tugged a pair of sleeping pants on and a shirt. It was likely just Belle, coming to give him a report that said all was well. He hoped it was a report and not an urgent cry for help because some terrible side-effect had taken hold of his father and they'd be plunged into another highly emotional crisis. He was pretty sure he couldn't take another one tonight. Twelve hours. He needed at least that to recharge. Then they could bring on the chaos again.

"How's he…" He quirked an eyebrow. "Not Belle."

"Belle comes to your door at four-thirty in the morning?" Emma asked with her own raised eyebrow. "What sort of weirdness happens in this house, anyway?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "You're so funny. I figured she was coming to tell me everything was okay. What can I do for you?"

Emma looked uncomfortable, like she'd been weighing the same options back and forth for that last twenty minutes that he was trying to convince himself that falling asleep in the shower was always a bad life choice, no matter how sleepy the hot water made him. "I… uh… Didn't really expect to be here tonight. Or anywhere, other than my apartment. Do you have a shirt or something I can sleep in?"

Bae had been trying not to notice that she was still in the little black dress. She'd kicked off the heels and had pulled her hair back, but the dress remained. "Yeah, I'm sure I have something," he said after a moment, realizing he'd been silent too long. "Come on in."

She followed him into the room, slowly, hesitantly, as if somehow it would lead to something she didn't want. Or perhaps something that she did, in fact, want. "You and your dad seem to be patching it up pretty well."

"Yeah, I think we've come a long way. I mean, he still pisses the hell out of me sometimes and I think I still send him into protective over-drive, but you know… We're figuring it out. Losing him like that put a lot in perspective."

She nodded, like she hadn't expected such a heavy statement this late at night. "Did Henry have fun… You know, before creepy attacked Belle and you two decided to go play heroes?"

Bae snorted, digging in the chest of drawers for a t-shirt that would work. "Yeah. I think he had a lot of fun. He made Pop and me sit down and watch Beauty and the Beast with him." He waited for Emma's laughter to die down to a level that he could keep talking without waking everyone in the house up. "Oh, it gets better. He sat there and had Papa tell him true or not true for him and Belle. You should have seen his face during some of it. If I'd been thinking I would have snapped a picture."

"He probably would have broken your phone."

"Might have. Here we go."

"Are you serious?" Emma gawked, taking the ratty old thing. "You still have this?"

He couldn't help but grin, if only because he heard the touch of endearment that was sprinkled into her voice. Very lightly sprinkled, but there. "You remember it?"

"Yes, you jerk," she said, swatting him with the shirt. "You had me convinced for a whole three days that you'd actually had a degree from there."

"See, told you your superpower was fake."

She hit him again, but then unfurled the shirt in question. It had always been grey, but it was a lighter shade now, with a couple more worn spots than she could pull from memory. A corner off of the Y and half of the E was missing from the black letters Y-A-L-E that were scrawled across the front. There were a lot of fond memories wrapped up in this shirt.

"Your face was pretty priceless when you put it together. It just dawned on you one morning that there was no way I could have pulled off going unless I were some sort of child-genius. Seriously, I'm what, two or three years old than you?"

"Hundred, you mean, right? You forgot to say two or three _hundred_ years."

"Yeeeah. But you didn't know that."

"Nearly smothered you with your own pillow if I remember right."

"Yeah you did," Bae answered with a grin. They were close now, talking and chatting like the old days, and he wanted to get closer. Wanted to, but not as much as he didn't want to spoil whatever they had. He knew that she'd turned Hook down. There was no question in his mind that the pirate had made some sort of go - or made multiple goes - at sweeping her off her feet when he'd come to take she and Henry home, but there had been nothing between them since coming back to Storybrooke. In fact, as far as Bae could tell, Hook and his mother had been trying to rekindle what they had. He prefered to stay as far away from that as he could.

Even so, Emma hadn't put her self in a position that had them alone for any length of time. He'd been busy, sure, and she was sheriff again which took up a lot of her time, but he knew that the walls were there for her own protection.

She was still going on about the shirt, laughing about the pillow fight that had come from the prank and before he could stop himself he had kissed her. He knew he shouldn't, he knew that she'd push him away, but when she wrapped one arm around his sore neck and then the other one he deepened the kiss. Emma didn't complain.

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five.**

She'd thought he'd be too tired to dream when they'd finally crawled into the bed that had, at some point that neither could pinpoint, become theirs. Belle woke to the struggling sound of the man that she loved fighting against his tormentors, many of whom had been dead for centuries. He was curled on his side, his back to her, and shivering despite the blankets piled on top of him.

Slowly and carefully, she sat up and reached over to him, wary of the jerking movements he made. "Rumple," she whispered. "It's me. You need to wake up. It's just a dream. They're not here. I am."

He let out another painful moan and curled on his side, tremors running through him as they had with the magic. She touched his shoulders, his pajama top soaked through with sweat, and carefully nestled herself down behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle as she'd done the night before. This, finally, seemed to calm him and the thrashing ceased. He let out a long breath. "Belle?" he croaked.

"Right here, my love," she promised and kissed his shoulder.

He came closer to relaxing then, at least for a moment, and she'd thought he'd fallen back asleep again when he sat straight up in bed, wide awake. "There are people in my house."

She couldn't help but to giggle at him. "Yes, there are usually people in a house. That is what they're built for."

"I mean people besides you and Bae."

The giggling didn't stop with that. "It was very late when we got in last night. Bae and I told Regina and Robin they could stay. I think Emma slept over as well."

"_Regina_ slept in my home?"

"Rumple…."

"Oh no. She _knows_ better."

"I feel like there's a story here."

"There was an understanding there," he answered in return. He threw the covers off and was ready to unleash on his former pupil when Belle grabbed his wrist.

"Rumple, please don't."

He stopped, eyes softening and the irrational anger at the thought of being overloaded by guests subsided at least a little. He sighed after a moment.

Belle leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you," she said sweetly.

"Love you too," he answered.

* * *

"Dad! Wake up! Belle's making breakfasts and it smells _really_ good!" Henry called as he piled into his father's bed.

There was a loud _ooof_ from under the comforter, but another groggy voice accompanied it. "As long as it's not Regina's cooking."

"_Mom_?" Henry nearly squeaked.

Bae peeked out from under the blankets, Emma following suit. Their son looked torn between traumatic experience and the fact that they were together in the situation. He hopped off the bed quick enough, but couldn't stop a grin. "Does that mean you're getting back together?"

"Henry, that's not-"

"This doesn't mean-"

Henry didn't seem put out by their protests. "Deny it all you want," he offered with a shrug and a spark of mischief in his eyes that Emma knew was entirely Neal. "True Love kind of runs in our family."

Neither of them said anything immediately following their son's exit. Finally, Bae risked a glance at Emma. "Listen..."

"You want to give this a go then?" she asked in a rush. "I mean, for Henry's sake."

"You know I do. Didn't think is hid that very well."

Emma flashed a real smile, brief but true. "Yeah, you were pretty bad at it," she agreed. Slowly, she started to push back the covers and made her way to his chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of sleeping pants that were going to be far too big, but she slipped them on anyway. "Breakfast sounds good about now. I have a feeling that we're going to be chasing your dad's newest terrible and powerful enemy all day long."

"Never a dull moment," Bae agreed.

They did find Regina in the kitchen having a rather testy conversation with Bae's father at the table. Belle glanced back every time that voices began to rise and Rumplestiltskin bit his tongue.

"Have him well trained, don't you, dear?" Regina quipped from her seat, receiving a glare that certainly would have been accompanied by a powerful burst of magic if he were able.

"Mom, don't be mean to my grandpa," Henry said from his seat.

Rumple's expression turned smug and Regina glared before turning a smile to her son. "He can take it, sweetie."

"What a lovely example you're setting, Regina," her former teacher said silkily.

"Enough, both of you," Emma snapped.

Rumplestiltskin turned his attention to them at the sound of her voice and she couldn't help but feel like he knew everything in one glance.

"Two of the most powerful sorcerers in the Enchanted Forest and they're no better than children when they quarrel," Belle said from the stove.

"Still aren't afraid of him, I see," Robin laughed as he entered, Roland squirming out of his arms and running to Regina who plopped him in her lap.

Belle only smiled in response.

Baelfire shook his head as he surveyed the scene, leaning over to speak directly in Emma's ear. "Christmas is going to be _fun_."

She shot him a look. "We need to have a discussion about your definition of the word fun."

* * *

After everything that had happened the night before he could tell Belle was not happy that he was going into the shop for a couple of hours before they all met up with Snow and David to discuss what had happened, but Rumplestiltskin needed time to think. He needed to be away from the buzzing activity that had become his house. It was nerveracking.

He'd locked the door as soon as he'd entered, not bothering to turn on any lights in the front. There was no need. He wasn't there for inventory, nor was he there to do much more than tinker. Slowly, eyes scanning the back room, he weighed his options on what to busy his hands with while his mind turned. Sometimes it was good to go back to what he knew.

Rumple sat at the spinning wheel he kept in his little office, the creaking of the wood easing his tattered nerves. He let his mind wander. Exhaustion had been both friend and enemy when he'd finally drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. He'd dreamt, he knew, but he couldn't quite remember it. The haze that covered the dream-memories was thick, and he couldn't be sure if it was simply something he'd blocked out or his mind had shut down and refused him access due to the strain of the event. Either way, he couldn't shake the feeling that, for once, it was valuable information.

The wheel turned, producing no gold on the other end as was his talent in another world, but it lulled him into the memories, dark eyes unfocused as he reached.

_He was strapped to the damn table again, shoulders pulled nearly out of their sockets with the way his arms were stretched out above his head, firmly bound, this time with thick ropes that constantly dug into the already bleeding and bruised flesh of his wrists. His head ached, his body ached, hell… Everything ached. He couldn't quite remember what it was like to not feel pain at this point. It had become a constant for a stretch of time that he couldn't put a number to._

_The sound of the doors opening caused him to cringe, knowing what that meant. They were back from wherever they'd gone off to and he had their attention again. He hated having their attention._

_Heavy boots, a sound he'd grown accustomed to announcing their entrance, slapped against the wet stones of the floor. There was another set, though, new and dainty. If he listened hard enough, it sounded like heels clicking and the very faint swishing of a dress brushing against the floor._

_"This is not what we discuss," a most certainly female voice sounded._

_"You wanted him dealt with and he is being dealt with according to our customs," Mallicade answered the visitor. "He shall hurt no one further."_

_"This is torture."_

_"Yes, it is. The fact that is life will, eventually, end is most likely better than he deserves."_

_There was a sigh, resigned. "It pains me that such terrible things will pave the way for a better tomorrow. Was there no other way?"_

_"You did give him a chance and he spat it back in your face."_

_"He did," she agreed and Rumplestiltskin heard her shuffling closer. His vision was hazy at best, blurred by pain and a swollen face from the beatings. The injuries remained long enough until the released just enough of his magic from where they'd suppressed it to allow him to heal. He could never attack, no, his curse was far too busy making sure that he didn't breathe his last and let it dissipate with him. As soon as he'd healed enough to start again, his magic was ripped from him, leaving him cold and still in pain. The only thing that proved his curse had not left him entirely was the dark little voice whispering all the things he should do to them once he was free. It passed the time, but Rumple was sure he would never be free of his bonds._

_The visitor leaned over him, but he couldn't make out her face. "I'm sorry," she told him, voice soft and somehow familiar. "I really wish it hadn't come to this."_

_"Then… let me... go," Rumplestiltskin managed, voice raw from the screaming and it was difficult to pull in enough air to push the words back out._

_"I'm afraid I can't do that," she answered. "I fear for these kingdoms should you be allowed to roam free any longer."_

_Rumple pulled suddenly on his bonds, startling her into pulling away. He snarled, the pain focusing him if only for a moment and vision cleared just before the magic hit and dark spots danced across it. He screamed, jerking hard against the roped and trying to move away from Mallicade's touch. New and old wounds alike opened and somewhere in his mind he must have known she was retreating from the sight because her name broke free from his lips like a curse and he howled in pain._

The wheel stopped suddenly under expert hands as Rumplestiltskin snapped out of the memory, her name whispered into the empty office. Anger boiled deeply in him, but he wouldn't go straight to her. No, if he did that he would lose the small amount of trust he'd managed to gain with his new-found allies. As much as he was loath to admit it, as long as he didn't have magic he would need their help.

* * *

"I feel like we're going behind his back."

Bae's lips thinned out in a grimace at the thought. It had occurred to him too, but he'd talked himself out of sharing his plans with his father for one very good reason. "He was the one that brought it up, and if we don't do it, he will eventually and that'll just get messy." She couldn't argue that. "And we'll tell him as soon as we're done."

"Right," Belle agreed as they walked up the steps to the the convent.

They were met almost immediately. Even though the woman was dressed as a nun, there was a distinctly fairy feel about her. She almost fluttered about as she told them that, no, the Blue Fairy was not seeing anyone today. The _most certainly not you was_ not voiced, but they could both read it in her dark eyes.

"Listen, I hear what you're saying," Bae acknowledged as he simply pushed past her and into the chapel, "but this is important. Life or death and all that. Let her by too please?"

"I didn't let _you_ by!" the fairy snapped. "You can't be in here!"

"Excuse me," Belle offered as she too slipped by, having to jog to keep up with Baelfire. He was a man on a mission.

The fairy that tried to stop them from entering continued to chase them down, fussing the whole way. Bae knew they were getting closer by the way her voice pitched up, shrill and panicked. He let the smallest of smiles flicker as he pushed open the door and she nearly had a conniption. Once it was open she could see why.

It was like receiving a cheap blow. Blue looked over, her expression horrified when she saw them. Mallicade sat in the chair in front of her. There was no sign that Emma's bullet had struck him at all.

Bae felt a sudden rage take over him. "You traitorous little _bitch_!" He might have strangled her if Belle hadn't seen the signs and grabbed on, nearly tumbling with the force he pulled with.

"She's not worth it!"

Baelfire stopped, but he was shaking, dark eyes fixated on her. "Starting to think she is."

"Baelfire-" she started, but he cut her off.

"Oh no, you don't get to talk. You're housing _this_ here?"

"Ah, you were the one waving your weapon at me last night," Mallicade drawled, rising from his chair. He turned his gaze in Belle. "And you were the one protecting the wolf."

Bae hadn't thought about arming himself. Who armed themselves walking into a nunnery?

"Please," Blue said, regaining her calm. "There is no reason that-"

Icy blue eyes fixed suddenly on the fairy and she snapped her mouth shut. "We've gone over this, Reul Ghorm. Sacrifices must be made to keep goodness in the hearts of all those of the Enchanted Forest."

"Seriously? That's the line you're going with?" Bae managed.

Belle seemed less phased by the loftiness of the phrase. "And you think what you're doing is good? Goodness doesn't torture people!"

"I would have made the wolf's death quick," Mallicade assured her.

"And what about the others? The countless others that your… your _cult_ has killed!"

"We do not kill people, m'lady, we only hunt the darkest of beasts."

The turn of phrase hit home and Bae saw it, but he couldn't stop it even as Belle's eyes lit with rage. "He's not a beast, you are!"

This caught Mallicade's attention and he leaned forward, towering over all in the room. "He?"

"Belle, dear," Blue said, putting a hand on either of her shoulders, "you don't know everything in this. He's working with the Witch. We can't allow-"

Mallicade's lips twisted up in a snarling smile. "You're not here for the wolf. You were the one that called Rumplestiltskin last night."

Belle pushed Blue's hands away from her. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

The fairy looked offended. "Will there be no convincing you until he's killed us all? She has his dagger. We're doomed if he survives."

Bae snorted from his place. "You're a real piece of work, you know that? You hold yourself out to be this beacon of light, but all you are is full of shit. At least Papa doesn't lie about what he is." He glanced at Mallicade, never wavering under that icy gaze. "I'll be damned if I let you lay another finger on him, you hear me?"

"This is not your concern," the cleric answered.

"Like hell it isn't." He turned, motioning for Belle to move with him, but he caught Blue's eyes as they started to leave. "Good to see your true colours, Reul Ghorm."

The oldest fairy turned wide eyes to Mallicade and he shook his head. "They are no matter. The Dark One must be taken down or he will bring ruin to us all. They will see in the end or they will die with him."

* * *

"Hey!" Emma called as she came out the door leading back to her office. It was a small meeting that had been planned with only Snow, Regina, Granny, and Archie the only people that were added to the ones that had actually been present the night before, so they'd decided to meet in the Sheriff's office as to not raise too many questions. There was no doubt that Mallicade had wielded magic against them, but if that got out before they knew exactly what was going on, David was certain that they'd spend more time protecting Rumplestiltskin from their own allies that knew the Witch had his dagger than they would from Mallicade.

"Hello there," Rumple answered in return, cane tapping against the linoleum flooring of the hallway. His calm was outwardly in place even his mind was spinning with the news. "Last one here?"

"Almost. You know if Neal and Belle found anything out? They're the only other ones that haven't made it yet."

A cold sort of dread settled into his chest. "What do you mean?"

Emma seemed to realize that she'd said something she wasn't meant. "I guess I just assumed… Nothing. It's nothing."

"No, you've started in on it now. Where are my son and Belle?"

She pulled in a deep breath, letting it out through her nose. "They went to follow up on what you said last night about Mother Su- About the Blue Fairy."

The cold spread and Rumplestiltskin went pale. "They did… what?"

"Not sure why you're freaking out… It's just Blue. I mean, I know she's been kind of a bitch lately, but she was always a little high strung."

The door that he'd just entered through slamming open at the end of the hall stopped Rumple and he spun, seeing the subjects of their conversation coming in and looking like they'd run most of the way there. He felt a surge of relief coursing through him.

"Pop! You're not going to believe this."

"What? That the Blue Fairy is behind Mallicade?"

Bae stopped dead in his tracks. "How do you _do_ that?" he demanded and his father's thin lips stretched into a smile.

"I think you need to start talking, Gold," Emma deadpanned.

"I think you're right. Let's get on in and get started, shall we? I've pieced together a few things this afternoon that I do believe might come in useful."

* * *

TBC

Notes: So, not a fan of Blue, but I think most of you knew that after the last story :)


	6. Chapter 6

Notes: So who else is iced/snowed in today? Saturday it was 80 degrees here, Sunday something more like 27 degrees. Today it's about 20 and Friday it will be in the 70's again. I'm convinced that Texas' weather is the goofiest weather on the planet.

* * *

**Chapter Six.**

Rumplestiltskin had no problem allowing Bae and Belle tell their story first. It had seemed much less daunting to admit that to make use of his new allies he had to let them know that Blue had been actively working against them. It wasn't that the fact that he would have to explain how he knew that - in enough detail that would allow their already sceptical minds to believe him - wasn't glaringly obvious, it was that he'd ignored it up until that point. Now, as Baelfire was finishing his story and Snow was trying to come up with some excuse as to why her family's patron fairy would be caught with a creature such as the Mallicade, Rumple felt the walls closing in on him.

"So, how'd you figure it out, Pop?" his son asked, breaking him free of his thoughts.

All eyes were on him now and it became a now-or-never sort of situation. "Well, I suppose it's time to fill you in on some details," he breathed, and Belle reached over to take his hand. Their eyes met very briefly and her words from a few days before seemed to pass between them. If he wanted their trust, he must give them his. He just wished that providing his trust wouldn't leave him quite so open. Pulling his walls down was a difficult enough task for those he loved most dearly.

He glossed over more details than he had with Bae, but it didn't seem to help. No matter how hard he tried to keep a steady tone his voice gave at certain moments and memories flashed through his mind like they were taking place all over again. His dark eyes were fixed on a single tile as he spoke, finding every part of the small chip utterly fascinating and he took it apart and put it back five hundred times, trying to occupy his thoughts with anything other than the words he was speaking. At the end, silence met him, and he was finally forced to look up to make sure that he, his son, and Belle weren't the only ones left in the room.

Archie looked a little sick in his spot. "I'm so sorry, I never knew..."

"I don't want nor need your pity, dearie," Rumplestiltskin snapped, eyes flashing briefly. "Just needed you to know that I'm speaking from experience when I speak about Mallicade."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" David asked, trying to keep his tone even.

"What? When we were fighting for our lives last night?"

"Point taken… but you could have said something about it after."

"We were all tired a little shaken after everything," Belle jumped in, squeezing Rumple's hand before he snapped back an irritable reply. "That's why we called this meeting, wasn't it? To bring everything that we know about the situation to light?"

Charming nodded slowly. "Does anything in your experiences with him or anything that you-" he turned to Belle- "found in your research say why he might be able to use magic and no one else can?"

Rumple let out a long breath through his nose. "That's what I was searching through my memories for this morning. A lot of it's… hazy."

"Then it might not have been the Blue Fairy that helped him capture you the first time," Snow pressed.

It was Bae, not his father, who answered, and his voice was tight. For the first time since he'd finished the story, Rumplestiltskin risked a glance at his son and realized just how angry he truly was. "I know you think she's some sort of beacon for good, but this is too far."

"It was her," Rumple acknowledged. "I have no doubt." He turned his attention back to Snow's husband. "When they kept me before, Mallicade did so by casting a spell that subdued my powers. I've never seen anyone be able to do it before or after and I wasn't exactly in a position to study the magic then. I think that's what he's doing to anyone that has access to magic now. It leaves us feeling like we have no connection to it at all."

"So how did you get free then?" Regina broke her silence, eyes carefully guarded as they met her former teacher's.

"Like I said, it's a bit hazy. I know I broke his spell, but I don't know how. I might be able to sort through the memories like I did this morning, given enough time, but even if I can they'll do us little good. As much as it pains me to say it, my magic _needs_ to be kept under wraps. To break free of it would be to set off a beacon to the Witch. She has my dagger and she'll come to use it again if we give her a place to go with it."

"Are we certain she has it?" Granny asked.

Rumple's thin lips pulled into a deep frown. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"So we just need a way to defeat Mallicade without breaking his hold over your magic?" Snow murmured. "When you put it like that it sounds impossible."

"Not necessarily. Even defeating Mallicade may not release that spell, but I'd have to break free of it to defeat him, and _that_ is our problem."

"I could do it," Regina offered. "You figure it out, teach me, and I'll break the spell that's over me and the battle's on."

"Quaint, but no."

The former Evil Queen bristled at the sarcastic tone. "I'm waiting for better ideas, Rumple."

"Well, something that would actually _work_ would be preferable."

"You little-"

"Regina, sit down," Emma sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose and shooting Bae a look that pleaded with him to keep his father's sarcastic tone as much under wraps as the magic. It didn't matter if they didn't have access to it, Regina would still try to throttle him. Emma couldn't say she'd blame her at this point. She turned back to Rumplestiltskin. "Listen, Gold, we're running short on options. This guy is obviously bad news and we'll need magic to fight him, right? She won't be going at this alone."

A strained smile crossed the Dark One's lips. "I'm not worried for her safety in a fight, dearie, I just know that whatever is required to break this - and _not_ break it over the entire town - is beyond Regina's ability to learn in a short span of time. I taught her, remember? I know a bit about her learning curve. She doesn't take well to instruction until she's failed at it more times than you can count."

"That's not-"

"It's true. Didn't she tell you to sit down?"

"Would you both stop?" Emma growled, on her own feet now and glaring. She glanced over to her parents, her father sitting calmly enough, but her mother looked like she was about to burst. "We're open to suggestions, guys."

Snow pulled in a deep breath and looked at Rumple instead of her daughter. "What if you taught Emma?"

"_Emma_?" Regina demanded. "She can barely get a fire lit, much less-"

Snow's hazel eyes were locked with Rumple's own dark ones and he seemed to be weighing the option carefully. When he didn't answer, though, she continued. "You've said before she needs her hand held with everything having to do with magic. Okay. You walk her through it, step by step and she breaks the spell over herself, over Regina, and anyone else that needs it broken. She can do this."

"Mary Margaret, I-"

"You can do this." Snow flashed her daughter a winning smile. "I have faith in you. You just have to have faith in yourself."

"It might work," Rumple acknowledged after a moment. "This is all assuming I can find the way to break it."

The young queen's smile only grew, not at all phased by his words. "Oh, you'll find it and she'll break it."

Emma sighed. "Looks like I get to play savior again."

* * *

Baelfire had excused himself almost immediately after the meeting had been called, pausing only briefly at his father's shoulder to let him know that he'd meet him at the shop in a few minutes. He knew Rumplestiltskin was aware of the building tension, but he didn't say anything as his son walked out, stride long and quick to get to the open air before the full force hit. He considered himself a pretty laid back individual in most circumstances, but betrayal and threats to the ones he cared about were a pretty sure way to spark a pretty nasty temper out of him. If the two were combined, that temper could rival his father's.

He was nearly running by the time he hit the outer door to the town hall that housed the sheriff's department. He slammed into it and the cool air hit him and he pulled into into his lungs, hoping it would help calm him. He'd suspected that the Blue Fairy hadn't been quite as transparent as she would have wanted them to believe when she'd handed him that bean as a teenage boy. Looking back, many a hard life lesson having been learned since, he was certain that there was a reason that _that_ had been the path she'd laid out before them and Bae was sure it wasn't to help them in any fashion. It was only to rid the Enchanted Forest of the Dark One, even if she needed to use his desperate son to do so. Even with those suspicions he never would have thought she would have sunk to this.

There was a loud crashing sound as his fist met the thin metal of the poor, unprovoking mailbox outside of the town hall, his own growl of frustration sounding in the air. Betrayal and threats to those he loved. Yep, those were definitely the two that could pull his fairly well hidden temper out.

"What'd that mailbox do to you?"

Bae whirled around, Emma's voice startling him. He found himself staring at her, then to the dent he'd left into the mailbox, then to his knuckles that had started to bleed. He grimaced and she just lifted an eyebrow, waiting for the explanation. "I should have seen it."

"No one saw it, not even your dad and he hates her." She moved closer now, looking unsure even as she did so. "You want to get something off your chest?"

He ran his hands through his grey-flecked hair and sighed. "I'm just ready for a break, you know?"

"Yeah, and you came into it later than the rest of us," Emma attempted to tease.

"Yeah, and you got a year off while we battled ogres. I win."

Emma laughed and a lopsided smile stretched across Bae's face. "What a life," he muttered.

"And you thought you'd found a normal girl."

"Seriously? No, never that. Do you not remember how we met? No normal relationship comes from two people trying to steal the same car."

Emma shrugged. "It's been a good car." She tilted her head, studying him carefully. "You really think we can do this?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Who said there was a problem?"

"The mailbox seems to think there is."

"Speaking to inanimate objects now?" he teased and received a punch to the shoulder and a glare for his efforts. His smile lingered, but it looked forced now as he spoke. "I think we'll win, I just know that everything comes at a price. We keep cutting things really close."

"You're wondering what we're going to lose."

"I've already lost too much, Emma. I don't want to lose anything else. I don't think I could take it."

She leaned into him, her shoulder bumping into his arm. "Then we'll fight to keep them. Let me know when your dad has his answers. I've got to go pick Henry up from Regina's. Robin had both boys while we were all here." She shook her head. "Robin Hood is watching our son."

"What a life."

* * *

Rumplestiltskin had explained to Belle how he'd pulled the memories from the depths of his mind earlier that morning. He had no real wish to give it another go, but he also didn't seem to have a choice in the matter. Time was ticking away and with it their hopes of catching Mallicade before he did any actual damage to anyone this time around were dwindling by the hour.

It wasn't magic, he'd explained, but more of an exercise he'd developed over time to sort through what was quickly becoming more memories than a single mind could easily store. He had centuries of information - not to mention he now had a lifetime of cursed memories as well to battle with the real ones - and it was an artform to find what he needed when he needed it. Plenty of the information had been shoved back, either unnecessary or unpleasant enough for him not to access it on at least a semi-regular basis. These particular memories, as a whole, were situated back with other rather unpleasant ones that he preferred to keep far away from conscious thought. To dwell on them, to see those details, would have driven him mad.

The spinning wheel was a distraction for his hands, something to busy them with while he'd searched his mind for the answers that he knew that he needed. This time, though, Belle sat directly across from him, his back to the wheel, and she held his hands firmly in her own. "So that you know I'm here," she said quietly.

"My tether to reality," he agreed and kissed both her hands before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. They'd discussed it, finding this the best option so that he did not accidently break the spell over himself while in the throes of the memory, therefore calling the Witch to them.

The search through memories was not unlike the search for the future, though these particular memories were fragmented more like shards of glass that came slowly back together, as if breaking backwards, than they were like pieces of a puzzle. As he sunk deeper into the memory, looking for the details that he needed, he could feel the pain that accompanied his time with Mallicade in that deep dungeon. There was a strain against every inch of his body and it threatened to overwhelm him before he felt the pressure against his hands, reminding him that he was sitting in his office in Storybrooke, Belle gripping either hand in silent encouragement. It steadied him enough that he was able to focus.

There were voices speaking around him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Everything faded in and out around him, threatening to topple over with one more surge of pain. His hands were bound to the table, by his side instead of over his head this time, and he realized he was alone in the room.

_Focus_, he coached himself against the almost overwhelming desire to pull himself from the memory in an act of self preservation. _Belle won't let you sink too deep._

So he focused. Focused on every detail that he could wrap his mind around. The table was hard and unyielding beneath him, the cuffs made of metal and impossible to work free of without magic or a key. His head felt fuzzy from blood loss and he shifted to feel a spiking pain from a particularly deep wound Mallicade had left him with on his last trip in. The pain seemed to focus his mind though and all at once he saw it. It was a trick he'd learned early on in his experience with magic. Magic was feeling and magic was emotion, but if one knew how to look it could be _seen_ as well. He saw it then, standing in the midst of it and it was overwhelming, even as a memory. It was powerful.

Hands squeezed his own and he drew in a deep breath. He had to find the crack in the magic, not break it open. That was for Emma to do.

The Dark One stepped forward and found what he was looking for. A small sliver of the spell, a weak point, and he smiled. There it was. This was going to be easier than he'd thought. His mind had been nearly pulled apart with pain when he'd done it, but walking Emma through this could be done.

_"Rumplestiltskin!"_

Belle's voice ripped through his subconscious, pulling him from it. He gasped as he came out of the memory, brown eyes blinking as they met blue. She didn't let go of his hands until that moment and then only to put one to his face.

"We have to go," Bae said, his sudden presence startling his father. Just how deep had he been under?

"What's happened?" he managed, voice sounding raw even to his own ears.

"Henry's gone." Baelfire's face was a mask of calm, but all the anger from before and then some was burning just beneath it. "He took my son, Papa."

* * *

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: Anyone else counting down until Sunday? Oh, and also, anyone else see the post to Facebook today? See who is in the background on the yellow brick road?

* * *

**Chapter Seven.**

By the time Bae had heard the news everyone was on their way to the hospital. Both boys had been taken in the attack and Regina had returned home to find Robin battered, bloodied, and unconscious on the floor. The outlaw had apparently put up quite a fight as the far as anyone could tell. Furniture had been destroyed and he'd even gotten his hands on his bow before he'd been overtaken because there had been an arrow lodged in a wall.

The rumours were spreading quickly enough by the time that Bae, Rumple, and Belle arrived at the hospital. Regina was staring blankly at a wall, a cup of coffee held forgotten in her hands, and her dark eyes were rimmed in red. Emma was next to her, the two women sharing in the devastating pain that was this helpless waiting. The blonde perked a little as the doors slid open and she was in her feet in an instant.

"Took your time," she growled, but Bae knew even as he wrapped his arms around her that it had been everything she could do not to storm the convent then and there. Not that the boys would be there. Mallicade was far too clever for that.

"We'll get him back." He glanced over to Regina who seemed only vaguely aware that they had come in. "We'll get them both back."

The former Evil Queen seemed to snap back to reality and noticed the newcomers. Her eyes fixed on Rumplestiltskin. "You better not be here if you don't have answers, Gold," she growled.

There was no banter from him, just a strained sort of look that a few closest to him knew was a sign of worry. He nodded at Regina and turned his attention to Emma. "Miss Swann?"

"I don't think I can..."

"Well, you're going to have to," Rumple snapped, immediately regaining control and his voice was gentler. "Remember what I said when you cast the protection spell around my shop? It's about emotion. You have more than a few raging right now. Harness those. Use them. If you can break through this, we can get to Henry."

"I'd rather just walk in and shoot him. Worked well enough last night."

"And he kidnapped Henry and Roland today," Regina snapped. "Lot of good your gun did us, sheriff."

"Yelling at her is not the answer, Regina," Snow sighed. "She won't be able to focus-"

"She won't be able to focus _period_. That's her problem!" She stood, storming over to where Rumple was standing with the blonde in question and was leaned in threateningly so that she was directly in his face. "You still won't teach me?"

Rumplestiltskin, for once, seemed to be weighing his next words to Regina very carefully. He'd never been known to handle her with any sort of concern for her feelings. He was straight forward when he needed to be and they often seemed to enjoy the dance of biting remarks that they threw at each other, but something in him urged him to speak with care now, just this once. She was too close to a tipping point, and she'd manage to shatter everything if he weren't careful, if he detailed the best way to go about it or not. "No," he said slowly, holding up a hand to stop the outburst. "If we want to save those boys, we must be careful in this. Defeating Mallicade means nothing if the Witch comes in and forces me to kill you all."

"We can fight her if we have magic."

"You haven't fought her, dearie. Not really. I have. Don't get ahead of yourself. You would lose against her."

"But you wouldn't, is that it?" she scoffed.

He sucked in a breath, resisting every instinct to simply unleash and put her in her place. It would do no good. He'd feel better for only half an instant before everything fell down around them. He lowered his voice, strained as it was and looked her directly in the eye. "I _did_ lose, Regina. _That_ is my point."

"Worthless," she growled, but stalked away and left Rumplestiltskin with only the barest of victories.

He turned a very tired look on Emma. "Shall we get started?"

* * *

At thirteen years old, Henry was certain he should not know how to react to being kidnapped from prior life experiences. He'd put up a pretty good fight, he thought, but the unexpected sleeping spell had hit him like a ton of bricks, laying him out flat. He had woken slowly, mind sluggish to react and limbs heavy. He'd just managed to sit up a moment ago and get a good look around.

They were in a room that looked to be lower than ground level, perhaps a basement of some sort. The only light was streaming in from a single, small window nearly to the ceiling. It looked like lamp light from where he stood, the sky dark beyond it. The room itself was bare, each wall exactly like the other with the two exceptions of the window and the door that he was sure would be locked, though he promised himself he'd check that as soon as he got his feet under him again.

Roland was still sleeping, curled up just a couple of feet away. The little boy was shivering slightly in his oversized sweater that he'd borrowed from the elder boy. Henry reached over to him, pulling him closer and wrapped his arms around him. "It's okay," he promised softly. "We're going to be okay."

Dark blue eyes blinked open and Roland gave a wide yawn, snuggling closer. "It's cold, Henry," he murmured.

"I know. Let's get up and move around," the elder boy coaxed, shaking his almost-little brother carefully. "Come on."

It took some work, but they managed to get to their feet, both wobbly from the spell, and Henry looked around uncomfortably. He'd heard the briefest of mutterings that morning over breakfast about this Mallicade that they'd run across and the fact that he could use magic when no one else seemed to have access to it. The whispers had been immediately shut down as they'd realized he'd been listening. Someday they'd learn that he really was the expert on all of this stuff.

Slowly, carefully, Henry took a step forward. The floor seemed to be steadier under him now and he made his way to the door without tipping all the way over. He took hold of the doorknob and pulled, not at all surprised to find that it wouldn't budge.

"Now what?" Roland asked.

"Don't guess your dad taught you how to pick locks, huh?" Henry asked, but the little boy shook his head and he started weighing their options. The window was pretty high up. Roland might be able to reach it if he stood on his shoulders, but even then it was going to be a stretch. As Henry looked around the room, though, he thought that was looking like the best option. He looked down at the five-year-old that had about decided that he hung the moon and in a very serious voice he said, "Roland, I need your help."

"Mine?"

"Yep. Can't do it without you."

The little boy grinned, all sleepiness washing away. "Okay, Henry!"

Henry took his hand and led him over to the wall, kneeling down to the floor. "What you need to do is climb up on my shoulders. Can you do that? You'll need to stand on them."

Roland scrambled up without delay and Henry slowly stood, the younger boy's sock-covered feet against his shoulders. He held his hands as he balanced and turned towards the window. "Can you reach it?"

"It's really high."

"Just reach. You can do it."

Roland reached, going up on his toes until his fingers caught the latch on the window and he fumbled with it. "Won't turn," he announced and Henry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"It's okay," he started to say, but Roland cut him off.

"Got it!"

A flood of relief washed through him as he heard the window snap open and fresh, cool air flooded in. It smelled like the ocean. "Can you crawl out?"

If he could or couldn't, Henry would never know. The door burst open suddenly and Roland let go of his grip on the window and came crashing down, the elder boy only barely catching him and they tumbled together and landed in a pile. The man that had come to Regina's home and had stolen them away loomed over them, icy eyes unblinking and cruel. He waved his hand and the window snapped shut. "I have no wish to harm you, but do not try to escape," he said lowly.

Henry's eyes widened. "Who are you? How do you have magic?"

A dangerous smile crept to Mallicade's lips. "There is always magic, young one."

The boy bristled at his tone and held his head up. "My mom and my grandpa said that there isn't any magic left in Storybrooke. They're kind of experts on that sort of thing."

The smile did not falter, but he took a step closer. "Your grandfather is the Dark One."

Henry resisted the urge to shrink back, but forced himself to stand straight under the gaze. "Yeah, and my other grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming. My mom's the savior and my other mom is one of the most powerful sorceresses in the Enchanted Forest. You don't have a chance."

"Yeah!" Roland agreed from his spot behind Henry. "And my papa's the best shot there is."

"He missed and it cost him his life," Mallicade drawled and chuckled at the horrified expression that cross both boys' faces. "Don't fret. You're innocent enough yet so no harm will come to you."

"Then what do you want with us?" Henry demanded.

"What do I want? I want to end the Dark One. His… sentimentality had made him weak over the years. This was far easier than I could have imagined."

Henry glared, even as Mallicade turned to leave. He held his glare as the door shut behind him and kept it there for a few moments longer, just for good measure.

"Do you really think my papa is dead?" Roland sniffed.

"No, I'm sure he's just fine."

"Do you think he'll kill your grandpa?"

Henry shook his head. "I won't let him."

* * *

Mallicade swept down the hallway of the underground hold he had claimed as his own, icy eyes fixed ahead. His goal was nearly reached. He'd sought after the Dark One for more years than he wished to count, the obsession driving him to things perhaps his predecessors - and certainly other clerical sects - would not go near. No, Mallicade understood sacrifices needed to be made. That was the way of the world. To rid the realms if such evil he had made a few personal ones himself.

"This is too far."

Though some didn't seem to see that. He didn't have to turn to see the Blue Fairy standing in the corridor, dark eyes fixated on him in perhaps what she considered holy judgement. "Do you truly wish to be rid of the Dark One once and for all?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"And are you willing to let his powers be passed to an even more powerful being? One that we know will destroy all in her endless quest for power?"

Blue bristled. "I'm not willing to allow this. You know that."

"Then there is no _too far_, Reul Ghorm."

"They're children, Mallicade!"

"Children that no harm will come to as long as they hand over the Dark One to me."

Blue shuddered at the chill his voice left her with as he continued down the hall. He called over his shoulder to her, deepening the cold that spread. "You made all allowances in your soul for my methods that were needed the last time. Sacrifices must be made."

* * *

"Stop."

"But you said-"

"No, I didn't," Rumplestiltskin snapped, feeling the pressure building between them. Bae, thankfully, had found another place to be for the time being, but Snow and Charming were hovering nearby.

"Make up your mind, Gold!" Emma hissed, doing nothing for his hopes. They'd been dwindling by the moment, each failed attempt weighing heavier against them than the last. He had no doubt that given enough time and a little less pressure she could do exactly what they set out to do, but at this point he was wary of leading her anywhere close to that crack in the spell, lest she do exactly what Regina would have certainly done.

Rumplestiltskin steadied himself against the rising irritation and risked a glance over to Belle who was sitting between Bae and Regina, offering comfort where either would allow. Blue eyes met brown and she gave him a thin smile. It faded as her focus moved to the door and Rumple swiveled around, the temperature dropping in the room and Emma demanding to know exactly what she should do right then to save Henry. What had turned into an irritable tirade versus a true seeking of answers tapered off as she followed his gaze, the others all reacting in turn.

Mallicade stood in the doorway, his presence more daunting than even his tall and imposing stature. A cruel smile tilted his lips and he strode in, a wave of his hand ripping weapons away as they were grasped.

"Where's my son?" Regina and Emma demanded, almost in unison.

The smile did not fade as the cleric stepped forward, sending a few bystanders that had been in the hospital waiting room scattered to find shelter from what looked to be a nasty battle. Mallicade spread his hands out, palms upward. "Peace, no harm has come to the boys."

"That sounds like an awfully big _if_ there," Bae growled.

"If the Dark One is handed over."

The room went silent and Rumplestiltskin could almost hear the options being weighed in everyone's minds. As odd as it was, though, he couldn't find it in himself to blame them. Perhaps that nasty habit had finally been put aside, because it was his own voice that broke through the silence. "You'll allow both boys to walk away unharmed?"

"I have no reason to hold innocent children if I have what I came for," the cleric answered.

Rumplestiltskin opened his mouth with full intention of agreeing. He could feel his son's and Belle's apprehension, but it was actually Snow that beat them to it. "Absolutely not," the young queen said sternly. She didn't waver when all eyes turned to her and her steady gaze met Rumple's. "You're family, and Henry would never never forgive us if we traded your life for his. There's always another way."

Mallicade raised an eyebrow. "You're protecting this creature? Surely you know what he is, what sort of destruction he can and will bring to you if he's not stopped."

"Says the guy who stole two kids and put the youngest one's dad in the hospital," Bae growled.

"You're outnumbered and a few phone calls bring twice as many allies," David warned. "Those kids you took have a lot of people that care about them."

"Two pissed off moms, a dad, some very powerful grandparents, and... Pretty much a whole town," Emma agreed.

"You're out of your league, cleric," Regina growled dangerously.

Mallicade studied them. "And yet you cannot release your magic."

They couldn't be sure if it was a show of power or if it was simply his strange opinion of who belonged in the fight and who didn't, but they were swept instantly to the docks, the world shifting around them dangerously.

Rumplestiltskin looked around, immediately assessing the situation. Mallicade had brought his son, Belle, the Charmings and their daughter, and Regina. As much as they thought that they were there for the fight, he knew what Mallicade had brought them for. They were further hostages, stacking all the cards in his favour. The Dark One couldn't quite wrap his mind around when he'd managed to forge enough bonds that an enemy would consider them liabilities.

He glanced over to Emma. She had her gun gripped in her hand, but it was suddenly as clear as if he'd seen a vision had flashed in front of his eyes that she would not be breaking this particular spell. She'd never _needed_ magic like he and Regina did. She'd never relied on it. With everything swirling around, he had miscalculated. Now there was no time to lead Regina to the crack in the magic and hope she did it right. There was one option left in his direct view point. A battle would happen and they would need his magic to to hope to win. He took the barest of steps back, next to the former queen.

"Now what?" she demanded lowly.

"Now I handle him," Rumple answered tightly.

"It'll call her if you break it. That was the issue from square one."

"I know." He was already working through the threads, finding his way back to that crack. "She won't interfere until Mallicade has been dealt with."

"Yeah, but after that?"

"That's where you come in."

"I know that tone. Are you seriously going to put a price on this? This is Henry and-"

"I know. I need your help." Their eyes met briefly and Regina paled as she realized what was going unsaid. The Witch had his dagger and that, very likely, could mean death for all that opposed her. Rumplestiltskin knew it too, and perhaps that had been why he had been so desperate for any option other than breaking the spell over himself. It was foolish, looking back on it. It would likely take both he and Regina to take Mallicade down for good, especially if Blue decided to actively join the fight. There had been no getting around this once Snow had made it clear in her absurdly optimistic declaration in the hospital waiting room.

"Self sacrifice isn't your normal path, Rumple."

"Well, I'd much prefer you incapacitate me as to killing me," he popped back, the light tone immediately giving way to the heavier words that followed, "but in the end my family must be safe, do you hear? Can I rely on you for that, Regina?"

"I'll do what it takes to keep my son safe."

"Good, then we're in agreement."

He pulled, the crack opened and the spell shattered as power filled every inch of his being.

* * *

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight.**

The spell's breaking sounded through the docks with a loud _pop_, not unlike a firecracker going off. Even those without magic knew what had been done, but Regina shared in Rumplestiltskin's satisfied look. She turned a very wicked smile on Mallicade. "Now, shall we continue discussing what needs to happen for you to let Henry and Roland go?"

Mallicade blinked at Rumplestiltskin. "So you've called her."

"I'll deal with the Witch later. You're first on my agenda," the Dark One growled, pulling power to himself. No one got in the way as he released it and it slammed into the cleric.

"Papa…?" Bae tried, but his father cut him off.

"One thing at a time, son." He was watching elder man now as he picked himself up off the docks, the heroes and villains alike that he'd made enemies of that day readying themselves for whatever happened. The deep laughter the came from him was unnerving, sending chills through each one as icy blue eyes focused on Rumple.

The boards beneath their feet exploded upward without warning, the cleric having barely moved to send them flying. David and Emma were the only ones without magic that were armed, but their guns did them little good as his magic swept them away. The brief distraction allowed both Rumple and Regina time to move. In a poof of magic they both relocated closer to Mallicade, power dancing in their hands.

Regina attacked first, though Rumple had no doubt in his mind that she would, and she was met a firm barrier that caused her fireball to ricochet. He took the opportunity to slip behind, working his magic into the crevices of this protection spell just as he had the spell that was used to subdue their magic.

Mallicade threw an attack at the former queen and she dodged, glancing behind to where she heard Emma coming closer, intent on helping in anyway she could. "Go find Henry and Roland! They're close. We'll take care of this."

The blonde shot her a look that said she didn't quite believe the last statement, but she didn't need to be told twice to go save their son. She grabbed her parents, Baelfire, and Belle and they fanned out into the warehouses just off the docks.

The distraction cost Regina and she was slammed to the ground by the burst of power, though the focus that the spell took from Mallicade allowed Rumple to shatter the protection spell on the other end. The cleric turned, no longer interested in the former queen, and he physically slammed into the smaller man, sending him falling back. Mallicade caught him, though, grabbing onto his coat and swung him around and down to the battered wood beneath them.

Rumplestiltskin was surprised he didn't go _through_ the wood with the speed at which he hit. All the air was knocked out of him and he gave a sharp, cut off cry, struggling against the physical restraint that had been put on him. If he lived long enough, that was going to _really_ hurt when the adrenaline wore off. Magic leapt out from him, tearing at the cleric, but he seemed to ignore it as one hand came crushing down against the Dark One's windpipe. If he'd ever wondered if his immortality reached Storybrooke, he had no reason to to think that it would have at this point. Dark spots danced in front of his vision and he could just barely hear Regina calling out to him. It was funny, in all of this his mind had been so very silent. Not once had he heard the dark little voice pushing him towards the more selfish route. In fact, he hadn't heard his curse's promptings at all since returning to Storybrooke.

"Is this how it ends then, Dark One?" Mallicade demanded, voice bordering on elation.

"No," came the struggling reply. He may have managed to have shattered the major protection spell, but there were always smaller ones protecting men like Mallicade from magic such as the kind Rumplestiltskin wielded, but he pushed outward, focused, and his magic fully picked the cleric up and off the ground, tossing him back like a rag doll.

Rumple stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily to his left as his cane lay a few yards away. His vision was clearing again as he pulled in deep, painful breaths, one hand going to his throat. A warning was sounding in the back of his mind, a deeper danger than even Mallicade, and he glanced behind him to see a woman standing there, her green skin giving her away as someone not caught up in the curse. She seemed to be waiting, but he could feel the faintest of pulls, but it did not demand his full attention. The angry cleric did, though.

"Focus!" Regina screamed and he disappeared, leaving Mallicade's attack to slam into a part of the dock instead of him. He landed next to her and she shot him an irritated look. "I know physically fighting your own battles is not really your thing, but-"

"The Witch is here."

This caught her attention. "Are you-?"

"In control. For now."

* * *

"What's the matter, Henry?" Roland asked as the elder boy stood suddenly.

"I don't know," Henry admitted softly. _Something_ had changed. There was a spark in the air that hadn't been there before, almost like fresh air had been filtered in and he hadn't known it had grown stale before. It was refreshing. Energizing.

The boys jumped at the loud pop of magic being loosed in the form of an attack and Henry grinned. "They've come to rescue us!"

Almost on cue, the door burst open, but instead of Emma, Regina, or anyone else they might have expected, the Blue Fairy stood there, dressed in her nunnery frock and calling to them urgently. "Come on, both of you. We need to hurry."

"Was that _you_?" Roland asked, eyes wide at the thought of seeing magic up close and personal. He'd only seen a few brief spells from Regina before they'd been swept away, but it had been enough to intrigue his young mind.

Blue narrowed her eyes towards the window. "_Rumplestiltskin_," she hissed, the name coming out almost like a curse.

Henry beamed. "My grandpa broke the spell that Mallicade put on Storybrooke!" he cheered. He turned to the fairy, still grinning. "Didn't he, Blue?"

"It would seem he did," she answered in a strained voice. "Come, we have to hurry." She reached out and took either boy by the hand in a deathgrip, nearly pulling them along.

"Is he fighting Mallicade? Are my moms and dad helping? What about Grandma Snow and Gramps? Are they going to-"

"Quiet, Henry. We must hurry. Everyone's in great danger."

"Not for long. They'll beat him. Good always wins!"

This stopped the fairy in her tracks and she whirled on the boy, never releasing either of their hands. "Your grandfather is _not_ a good man, Henry. He's very, very bad and he's brought someone just as bad here. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Rumplestiltskin is working with the Wicked Witch."

"No he's not," Henry defended, trying to pull free, but Blue's delicate build was misleading. He couldn't seem to wrench his hand free. "He wouldn't."

"He would if he thought he'd gain something for it."

"He's different now!"

"He _can't_ be different, Henry! Don't you understand? His curse controls him. It will until the day he dies. If there was ever goodness in Rumplestiltskin's heart, even just a drop, it was blotted out when he took on the Dark One's curse for his own greedy gains."

Henry made a face and started pulling in earnest now. "He didn't take it on for himself. He did it to save my dad! How is that greedy? He did it because he loved him. He gave up everything for-"

"That wasn't the story your father told me when he came begging for my help," Blue snapped. "He was a scared little boy, not much older than you are now, and he was afraid of what his father would do. To him, to the others in their village."

"He's not all evil," Henry pressed, dark brows knit closely together and he fixed a glare on her. "Just like you're not all good."

Roland kicked out, foot connecting with the fairy's shin and she let go for the briefest of moments, but grabbed hold of Henry's shirt as he tried to pull away. "Run!" he yelled at the younger boy and Blue tightened her grip.

"I'm not going to let Mallicade hurt you, Henry, but I'm not going to let the Witch hurt you either. Come on."

* * *

Roland ran. His sock-covered feet were silent against the flooring and he turned a corner, hearing voices down the way. He recognized them and darted towards them, calling out as he went. He nearly ran straight into Emma as he took another corner too fast and would have toppled over if she had reached out for him. He looked up, his dark blue eyes large and filled with tears. "I want my papa."

Emma swallowed and knelt down to him. "Your papa's going to be okay, Roland, but he had to go to the doctor. We'll get you there as soon as we can, okay?"

"Then I want Regina."

"She's kind of tied up too," the blonde muttered as the whole building shook from a stray blast of magic. "Where's Henry?"

"The fairy had him. He told me to run."

Emma looked back to where Bae stood and saw barely contained rage behind his dark eyes. "Can you show us where?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm and gentle with the little boy.

Roland nodded and took Emma's hand, tugging her along behind him. The outlaw's little boy seemed well adept to navigating unusual places as he turned with the utmost confidence until they reached a place where they could hear Henry yelling. Blue's strained voice filtered through as well and Roland looked up to Emma. "I don't like her."

"I don't think anyone does about now."

Bae strode past her, shoulders tense as he moved. Blue appeared at the end of the hall and Henry's cry of "Dad!" made her go pale.

"Baelfire," she greeted. "Your father-"

"Let go of my kid," Bae growled and she released Henry by the time he had stalked to the end of the hall. His son wrapped his arms around his middle and buried his face in his shirt in the tight hug.

"Is Grandpa okay?"

"He'll be fine," Bae promised his son. "Better than you, Blue. What the hell were you thinking?"

"He's called the Witch."

"Listen, my dad broke that spell was so that he could fix the mess _you_ made by bringing Mallicade here and setting him on him. Instead of helping us deal with the potential problem, you made a bigger one. If he hadn't had to break the spell it never would have set off enough magic to alert the damn witch that we were here!" He took a shaky breath. "Henry, go wait with your mom."

"But I-"

"Now." He waited until his son was enough out of hearing range that he could lean in, voice strained and low, and speak to the fairy that he'd once put his trust in to help save his papa. "You better be as far away from him as you can when this is over. Belle might try to stop him, if she's quick enough, but if it comes down to me, he can kill you and I won't blink twice. Got it?"

"Yes," Blue managed.

"Good. Get out."

Emma approached slowly, watching Blue's retreating form. "You're letting her go?" she asked, even though they both knew there was nowhere she could hide from Rumplestiltskin when he decided to go after her.

Bae didn't answer as he ruffled his son's hair. "Let's get you kids out of here."

* * *

The battle had become a dance of power not unlike the one that Rumple had fought against the Witch that now stood back to watch the display. She was watching the performance, weighing strengths and weaknesses both if her new pet and if his current ally that would likely become her immediate enemies when she called him into service through his dagger. He'd managed to land a few more solid blows to the cleric, finally leaving a deep gash that wrapped its way across his chest and to the opposite shoulder, though Mallicade hardly seemed to notice as he moved, returning blow for blow.

Regina dodged another near-hit as her phone buzzed. She risked a glance and her former teacher threw up a shield that deflected what could have been a direct blow. "Is now _really_ the time?" he demanded.

"They have the boys," the former Evil Queen breathed, completely unconcerned with the close call. Instead, her eyes sparked and a smile that he knew well flashed across her face. "Let's finish this."

Rumple looked back to where Mallicade stood calmly. There was something there, a confidence that he shouldn't have. Something was wrong. His mind moved into overdrive, forcing out the Witch and the relief that only briefly took over at the news that his grandson had been found and was with family. His dark eyes met Mallicade's icy ones and a chill swept through him. He hadn't bothered to dwell on the fact that the cleric was at least as old as he was, likely older, and looked as if only a few years had passed him by in the past centuries. The magic he'd been fighting with was like nothing he'd felt wielded by another human being and he wondered just what he'd been willing to give up in his pursuit. That power, the one that made even the Dark One cringe just a little, was electrifying the air around him now and the warning left the sorcerer's lips too late.

The dock splintered under the pressure of the released attack, bowing downward even as both Regina and Rumple threw up hasty shields to protect themselves from it. Beneath them the wood bent and cracked and they risked a glance at each other, both knowing that the shield wouldn't last even as pieces of the attack made its way through, nipping at them and leaving thin trails of blood in their wake. Their only hope was to push back, hopefully deflecting enough of it that they could get out of the way of the brunt of the attack. That understanding between them they pushed, Mallicade physically sliding back as he fought them and Rumple reminded himself to be impressed after they got out of this alive.

They dove in opposite directions, the rush of power coming down where they had been and obliterating the dock there. Regina let out a startled cry the magic ate away at the boards under her feet and she found nothing solid under them. She dropped, grabbing for a handhold and only managing to bloody her arm against the splintered wood. Her own magic softened the fall only a bit as hit the shallow water below.

Rumplestiltskin felt his ankle begin to give under the stress of his own getaway and while the attack didn't hit him with all the force of its power it did send him tumbling hard. He missed the hole that Regina had fallen through, but he skidded across the broken dock, rolling several times before landing face down against it. He tried to push himself up, hearing the heavy footsteps that he knew so well coming in his direction, but the pain caught up with him and his arms gave way so that he fell heavily back down, a small sound escaping him.

He didn't even have time to look up when a boot connected solidly with his ribs and he didn't want to think about the sound he was sure accompanied it. The breath left him in a painful rush and he risked a glance up from where he was curled on his uninjured side, arm wrapped around his middle.

Mallicade was taking his time, though Rumple realized as he watched him that it wasn't entirely for show. He hadn't seen if their final push had done any damage until that point, but the cleric's left leg was coated in blood that was soaking through his his pant leg and his left eye was swelling shut, a gash running dangerously close to it. His defenses were lowered and they'd finally made their way through the last layer. Now was the time, if there ever was one, but even as his mind told him that he couldn't force his body to react.

The cleric took a heavy knee on the broken decking next to the Dark One, eyes calm even as he reached forward, hand clamping down on an injury Rumple hadn't catalogued yet. A soft, pained sound finally escaped him as fingers dug into it and he felt the world pulse around him. Mallicade didn't say anything for a time that felt like it was stretching into eternity and his injured captive tried to squirm away, but his limbs had grown heavy and it was becoming harder and harder to focus. Finally, the elder man pulled his hand away from the injury, blood staining his hand, and stood. He hauled Rumplestiltskin up by his coat lapels so that he moved with him. "_This_ is how it ends, Dark One," he growled out roughly.

Rumple's thin lips stretched and his eyes sparked dangerously. "You're right. It is."

Mallicade's eyes widened at the sudden movement and he stared in shock at the hand that was now shoved straight into his chest, dark and dangerous magic allowing Rumplestiltskin to pull his heart from it. Realization of the misstep seemed to strike the cleric but there was nothing he could do to stop it now. The Dark One that he'd hunted for so long crushed it even as he pulled it from him, the heart turning to dust and the life left those icy eyes in an instant as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground dead.

Rumplestiltskin fell as well once he was released, his own body screaming in protest as it hit hard and he lay there for a moment, gathering himself. He could hear the scurrying of people coming from the warehouses and Henry's voice calling above them. For him. It brought a small smile to his face even as the pain raced through every inch of his body.

The happy moment didn't last though, as they rarely did in his long life. He could feel the tug even as the Witch picked her way through the wreckage that had once been a dock. Regina hadn't made her way back up to it from what he could tell and he forced himself to shift enough that he could watch the woman that held his dagger come closer. She was smiling and barely lifted a hand to throw her would-be attackers that had come up behind her back. Bae and Charming went skidding backwards and she came to stand over him, the smile never fading as she stared down. "Hello, Rumple."

* * *

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Notes: Success! I meant to wrap this story up before the new episode on Sunday and I have. This is the last chapter to this story, but I'll be adding a little short that I couldn't quite find a place to fit in (mostly because it's a conversation between Milah and Rumple) but my brain will not allow me not to write it lol. I'll probably add that tomorrow some time, so keep an eye out for it :)

**Chapter Nine.**

Rumplestiltskin had lived in darkness more years than he had not. Because of this, he considered himself a bit of an expert. Over his centuries as the Dark One, he'd met all sorts of powers: light, dark, and everywhere inbetween. Some had tried to befriend him, others had tried to destroy him, but he'd never felt anything quite like the power that Mallicade had given off. It was powerful and dangerous, but not in the way that usually excited the wizard. No, that dark little voice was still silent and did nothing to steer him towards or away from it. It was only his thoughts and they were very, very sure. It was something to be wary of, something to fight against. It was a greater darkness than even he had known and she absorbed it without a second thought as it began to dissipate at his death.

He looked up at her, feeling every minor movement in all parts of his body, but the Witch simply continued to smile at him. "Get up."

There was that pull again and it frightened him, like strings wrapping around his limbs to control them. The strange thing was, even as he felt himself moving and obeying the command, his mind seemed to remind him that those strings were bound quite as tightly as they had been in her stronghold. Then that dark little voice had been screaming, rebelling, and then finally submitting to her, knowing it would have a new servant soon. Now it was silent.

Rumplestiltskin stood shakily, eyes moving to where his family stood beyond the green-skinned woman intent on stealing his power. Regina had finally made her way up a far ramp, moving to where her son and her love's little boy were, the youngest holding tightly to her hand and the elder looking on worriedly. Bae and Belle watched carefully, having already seen this play out once. No one made a move for him. Their short window to incapacitate him had snapped closed and he could see the tension of the moment.

He turned dark eyes carefully to the Witch herself. That victorious smile hadn't left her red-painted lips and she surveyed the battleground. "Quite a mess."

"You were quick to help," he snapped back. "What would you have done if I'd died? You can't take my powers if I've met my end in some other way."

"I had faith that you'd succeed, Dark One. Obviously my faith was well placed." Her eyes traveled up and down his beaten form, taking in the tattered suit and splotches of blood up and down. The smile didn't disappear, but she didn't appear quite as giddy as before. "Though you have looked better. I don't see any point in wasting time with this. Kill those pests over there and then return to me."

He simply stared for a long moment, eyes fixated on her like he hadn't heard a thing she had said. The smile finally straightened out. "Did you hear me, Rumplestiltskin? I command you: destroy them. Snow White, Charming, their daughter, and the rest. Save your boy, your grandson, and pretty little Belle for last though. I want to make sure to see your face when you-"

"No."

She blinked, tilting her head in question. "Excuse me?"

The word had escaped him and with it came the confidence needed to back it up. This was different here and the pieces began to fall into place why. It was impossible, but he _knew_ he could resist it. "I said no."

Her lips were tilted downward now, the frown evident and she pulled the dagger out so it was visible to him. "I own you, Dark One."

"No, I'm afraid you don't, dearie," Rumple answered with a chuckle. He resisted the urge to take a look at Regina's expression, knowing it would be the most priceless one out of all of theirs. He didn't have to look to see the knowing smile on Belle's face or the relieved grin on Bae's.

The Witch looked down to the dagger. "I don't understand. You have to-"

"You know," the Dark One drawled, widening his stance to steady himself out, "I've spent centuries studying magic and spells and curses of all sorts. Had to because a seer told me a curse would lead me to my son. I got to the point that I could take most any spell and twist it to my own purposes. I didn't limit myself, you see."

"Get to your point," the Witch growled.

His smile only broadened with her irritation. "I can take a spell or a curse apart and rework it any way I choose. That's how I learned to write curses, by pulling apart others' work and putting it back together with my own spin on it. I just never thought to do it with my own. Why would I?" Painfully he straightened his shoulders and lifted his head. It didn't matter. The look on her face as realization set in was incentive enough.

"You manipulated your own curse."

"Indeed. It would appear that it no longer owns me, I now own in. That means, _dearie_, that you have no control over me."

"But your powers-"

"Are now mine and mine alone." His eyes flickered to the knife in her hand. "Even if you could kill me with that you won't get my powers. When I die, they die with me."

"There has to be a price. There's always a price."

"Oh, there is. I'm happy enough to pay it though to get the ownership of my soul back. It's a small price, really, to keep my power with it."

She was hit hard by the attack, never expecting that level of strength to come from such a beaten down figure. He'd barely flicked his wrist and she was thrown back. There was something in the realization that he was truly free that sparked him on, steadying his steps if even for just a few moments of the battle. She lashed out at him, voice pitching upward in anger and he dodged, flickering as he teleported and she was thrown back by another wave of power as soon as he reappeared. A third collided the moment she'd gotten to her feet.

The last attack staggered Rumple, his body protesting the redirection of his powers from the healing it desperately needed. The pain was eating through his adrenaline rush and he knew he needed to end this quickly.

"How?" she demanded, wiping at the blood that was streaked down her face now. "It's more than just that you're clever. Many that came before you were clever."

Rumplestiltskin reached to where she'd dropped his dagger, and a memory flashed through his mind of when the men had tried to take Bae away from him all of those many, many years ago. His eyes flashed as he looked directly at her and power radiated off him, no matter the battered state of his physical being. "I took this curse on to protect my family. _Nothing_ will stand in the way of that, not even this curse."

"You can't kill me like this. That's not how you people do things."

Rumple tilted his head to the side. "You seem to be a little disillusioned, dearie. I'm no hero." He snapped forward with that, her protection spell doing nothing for her as the blade biting into her throat and the blood sprayed out. He didn't look away even as she dropped to the ground in front of him. He seemed frozen in place, knife still stretched out in the arc he'd swung it to end her.

"Henry!" Snow called after her grandson, but he didn't stop. He was racing towards his other grandfather, ignoring any calls from any of the others. He didn't stop until he'd reached him and wrapped his arms around his middle as he had his father when he'd rescued him from Blue.

Rumplestiltskin blinked, looking down at the thirteen-year-old that currently had a death-grip on him. His fingers loosed around the dagger and it fell from his hand. It clattered to the ground before he wrapped his arm around the boy in return. "Hey," he greeted hoarsely. "You okay, lad?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I think I'll have a better idea when the rush wears off," he answered honestly. He felt hands steady him from behind and his son's voice filled his ears as he told Henry to be gentle with him. He was about to tell him not to bother the boy with it, but his ankle took that moment to give and he pitched dangerously and suddenly to the right, Bae's grip the only thing that stopped him from slamming to the ground. Their voices blurred around him and he heard Bae calling him and someone gripped a hand. He wasn't sure when they'd eased him to the ground, but as he struggled hard to keep hold of his own consciousness, Belle came a little more into focus. The grip on his hands tightened and he offered her an exhausted smile.

She didn't cry, but she didn't speak either as she held onto him, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead and that was the last thing he could remember.

* * *

As Mr Gold, he had always hated hospitals. It probably stemmed back to his cursed memories of what had happened with his ankle. The terrible car accident that had shattered every bone in his ankle hadn't really happened, but the images were sharp enough to be real when he found himself surrounded by white walls and the intense chemical smell one only found in a hospital. There was a quiet beeping noise to his left and he blinked, trying to clear his vision enough to see where the irritating sound was coming from. When he looked back for it, he was met by a pair of dark eyes that he knew all too well and hated. "Blue," he croaked, throat dry.

If she was attempting to smile reassuringly, she did a terrible job. At best her lips thinned in a grimace. "Rumplestiltskin," she greeted back softly.

He pulled in a breath, finding it difficult and his words were loosed with the exhale of it. "Come to finish the job, dearie?"

"No, of course not," the fairy said quickly. "Fairies don't kill."

"Oh," he breathed, grimacing at the pain that raced up and down his side with each intake and exhale, "so you only torture. Good to know… where your lines are kept." He reached back into the cursed memories, trying to remember how Gold had dealt with the pain then. There should be a button of some sort to hasten the flow of morphine, but it was out of his reach and when his dark eyes came to focus on the machine from which it was being distributed, he thought that countdown seemed a bit far off for the next automatic dose.

"I needed to speak to you," she whispered.

His gaze turned sluggishly to her. She'd changed the settings. He really did hate her. "What… do you want?"

"My judgement in this situation was… less than clear. I was hasty to accuse you, even hastier to revert to someone such as Mallicade to deal with the impending threat."

"This could have waited," he growled, or tried but the last word wilted out as he coughed, body tensing with the strain. The sad part was that he knew his magic was hard at work, but a human body without access to immortality took time, even with a well of power to back it. He had said he was willing to pay the price.

"I'm sorry," Blue blurted out.

"That's nice. I don't care. Go away," the Dark One managed through gritted teeth.

"Please, I just-"

"No," he snapped, fingers moving to work the sensor clipped to them loose to set off an alarm. Everything hurt and it was making it difficult to breathe. He glared at her as one of the machines started to beep irritably and he thought he might have succeeded.

Blue looked at it, worry flashing across her face, but Rumple's strained voice brought her gaze back to him.

"I don't forgive you, dearie. I've done terrible things, but… but at least I don't hide behind a… false pretense like you."

"Are you going to kill me?"

He watched her, hearing shuffling just outside of the door. "No."

"Why not?"

He hadn't really expected that question and he'd expected his own honest answer even less. "Because… for the first time in a very, very long time… I have control over my own soul. I have a choice." He chuckled, coughing as he did and the door opened.

"You can't be in here," Whale directed at Blue. "You need to go. Now."

She hadn't broken her gaze with the Dark One yet. "I've never known you to be noble."

"I'm not. But you know what, dearie? Everyone else sees you for what you are now. Good luck getting their trust back after this one. That's enough for now."

Her eyes widened as Whale took her by the arm and led her out, leaving Rumple with a bare moment alone to sink back against his pillows and ache. The doctor came back in to check the machines and after a moment Rumplestiltskin felt the dulling of his pain. He looked up to find Whale with a crooked smile. "Gotta come to me for help." He laughed at the irritable sneer he received and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Full disclosure, because you're not likely to remember it anyway: you'd have been dead long before they got you here without that magic of yours."

The sneer eased a bit and a small smirk replaced it. "I know."

"Get some rest. Your magic can't do everything and we're going to keep you on some pretty heavy painkillers for a while longer."

As the medicine worked its way through his veins, Rumplestiltskin felt the world fade away and he slipped into a sleep that he couldn't possibly remember the dreams for. He couldn't have been sure how long he slept, but at least when his eyes opened next, he thought he felt a little better. The world was still fuzzy around him, but the thought of the terrible pain racing through every part of his being kept him from requesting the dosage of painkiller be cut back. Slowly, a figure he knew well came into focus and pulled a smile from him. "Bae."

Baelfire leaned forward, taking one of his father's hands in his own. "Hey," he greeted with a tired smile of his own. "Henry, look who's awake."

Rumple's eyes followed the sound of shuffling and Henry appeared next his his father, his grin wide and honest. "How're you feeling? The rush wear off?"

"I think the rush wore off," he agreed with a painful laugh.

"They only let two people in at a time, so when Belle went to go get coffee Dad said I could come in. Everyone's been switching out so someone would be here when you woke up."

Rumpelstiltskin was certain he didn't want to know who _everyone_ was. The thought of Snow and Charming sitting by his bedside while he was unconscious made him a little uneasy. "How long was I out?" he asked instead and nodded his thanks when Bae handed him a glass of water. His hands were shaking, but he managed to take hold of it and get several sips down before giving it back.

"It's been three days," his son answered, and the exhaustion in his voice proved them true. "You remember your impromptu visitor?"

Rumple thought for a moment and had to search until he found the memory. His gaze darkened. "Blue."

"Yeah, Whale said he had to toss her out. Mary Margaret and David are still discussing what to do with her." He glanced over at Henry. "Why don't you go see if Belle's back from getting coffee?"

The young teen looked like he might argue, but muttered his consent as he turned towards the door. He stopped, glancing back at his injured grandfather. "I'm really glad you're okay," he said and was out the door, leaving Rumple with a faint smile that faded back out with his son's words.

"What do you plan to do with her?"

"With Blue? Not a damn thing, honestly. She's earned enough distrust to last her for many years to come. I'd like to see her wallow in that for a while. There are fates worse than death, you know."

Bae chuckled, still gripping his father's hand, and he leaned his forehead down against it. "As much distrust as she's earned, I think you earned a few points in your favour this round."

"Let them think what they do."

A comfortable silence stretched between the two men, son holding onto his father's hand and father gripping back. Finally the door opened softly and Belle's happy gasp could be heard as she moved as quickly as she could to his other side without spilling the coffees in her hand. Bae took one from her gratefully as he stood. "I'll give you two a moment," he mumbled and slipped out.

Belle was grinning, the corners of her lips stretched to their limit and she didn't stop when she leaned over and kissed him. All of her worry and all of the joy at seeing him alive and awake flooded into the kiss and Rumplestiltskin reached a hand up to tangle it in her long hair. "Good morning to you too," he quipped when they finally broke.

The smile still hadn't faded."Evening, actually."

"Good evening to you then," he corrected tiredly, but found his own smile undaunted as well.

She sat on the edge of his bed, careful of everything he was hooked up to, and smoothed back his grey-streaked hair. "Is it true, Rumple?" she whispered. "Did you really change your curse?"

"I did." He looked up, seeing tears building in her eyes and he felt a flutter of panic beginning. "Sweetheart, what-"

"You're free," she managed through them, kissing him again.

"It would appear I am."

"You said that there was a price… What is it?"

He sighed, even as she leaned back against the pillows with him. "Let's just say that I have to be very careful not to overextend myself," he said after a moment, his eyelids lulling. Belle's closeness brought a comfort to him that no painkillers could have even touched.

"I'll be right here," she promised, seeing the way he was drifting off. She nestled in, arm very loosely draped over him, careful not to put too much pressure on injuries. His breathing evened out in his sleep and it lulled her, the stress of the past week finally lifting and she risked one more glance up at his relaxed features as she felt herself slipping closer and closer to sleep.

* * *

End

Notes: Anyone else seen that pic with the Witch and Rumple that was released? Robin4 sent it over to me and I just about died of fangirl happiness. I cannot wait until it starts back up again!


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